Byron Hunter receiving Veteran of the Month certificate. From left; Kosciusko County Commissioner President Ron Truex; Commissioner Bob Conley; Veteran Affairs Officer Rich Maron; Byron Hunter, veteran of the month and Brad Jackson, vice-president (Photo by Michelle Reed)

WARSAW — Byron Hunter, of Warsaw, was honored as Veteran of the Month at the Kosciusko County Commissioner’s meeting today, Monday, May 2.

Hunter was born March 18, 1924, in Miami County, where he lived and attended school. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1943, and went to Great Lakes Training Station for basic training. From there he attended radio operators’ school at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he learned Morse Code.

After completion of his schooling, Hunter was sent to Norfolk, Va, and assigned to the USS Chiwawa, a tanker ship. Their primary mission was to travel with merchant ship convoys and to refuel Destroyers and Destroyer escorts, which were tasked with detecting German U-boats.

Hunter returned to Chicago, Ill, via the west coast for discharge in November of 1945. After serving for 33 months in the U.S. Navy, he attended Indiana Technical College and earned a degree in electrical engineering. Hunger worked for 35 years at ITT in Fort Wayne retiring in 1984.

Hunter was married to Leslie, who passed away in 2009. He has five children, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.