Categotry Archives: Heroes

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Mike O’Callaghan

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Categories: Education, Heroes, Media, Military, Politicians, Writers/Editors

mocallaghan.jpgDonal “Mike” O’Callaghan, a newspaper columnist and former governor of Nevada, died on March 5 from a heart attack. He was 74.
Born Donal O’Callaghan in LaCrosse, Wis., he adopted the first name Mike when he was a teenaged boxer. At 16, O’Callaghan enlisted in the Marines as part of the post-World War II occupation forces. He served in the Air Force as an intelligence specialist then joined the Army in order to fight in the Korean War.
On Feb. 13, 1953, his company came under heavy fire from Chinese Communist forces. To rescue several soldiers trapped in an out-guard post, O’Callaghan voluntarily put himself in harm’s way. He was hit by a mortar and badly wounded. Rigging a tourniquet out of telephone wire, O’Callaghan saved the men, crawled back to the command post and continued to direct the firefight for three more hours. His left leg was later amputated below the knee, and his efforts were rewarded with the Silver Star and a Purple Heart.
When he returned to the states, O’Callaghan earned a master’s degree from the University of Idaho and moved to Henderson, Nev., to teach high school history and economics. He helped found and run the Henderson Boys Club, became the state’s first health and welfare director and was named regional director to the federal Office of Emergency Preparedness by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
An interest in politics led O’Callaghan to run for lieutenant governor in 1966. He lost that race, but was elected to the state’s top spot four years later. During his two terms in office, the popular Democrat was best known for supporting the Equal Rights Amendment and creating the state’s Consumer Affairs Office.
After his second term ended, O’Callaghan became a journalist, spending two decades as a columnist and executive editor at the Las Vegas Sun. A high school, a park and a hospital are all named in his honor.
• Timeline of O’Callaghan’s Life

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Father Joe

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Categories: Heroes, Religious Leaders

Father Joseph F. Ognibene, a Roman Catholic priest who helped rescue students from a burning school in the 1950s, died on Dec. 27 from cancer. He was 77.
Ognibene was working as a parish priest in Chicago on Dec. 1, 1958 when fire broke out in a stairwell at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School.
Ognibene saw the smoke and immediately ran into the school to help lead children to safety. He directed the students downstairs toward the exits and carried some of them out of the building. With the aid of Sam Tortorice, a man who lived near the school, Ognibene transferred students trapped in one classroom to an adjoining classroom where they could safely evacuate.
When the fire was extinguished, Ognibene visited the injured at the hospital and identified victims at the morgue. Three teachers and 92 students died in the incident.

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John Houlihan

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Categories: Heroes, Military, Politicians

John J. Houlihan, a war hero who became the first director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, died on July 24 of lung cancer. He was 80.
Upon graduating from high school in 1941, Houlihan enlisted in the Marines. He fought in the Battle of Midway and Guadalcanal, and was wounded by artillery fire in Bougainville. A big shell exploded, killing and injuring a dozen Marines; Houlihan’s left leg was amputated in the blast. His service during World War II earned him a Purple Heart, the Marine Corps Medal and the Asian Pacific Medal with three Bronze Stars.
When he returned to the states, Houlihan earned a degree in business and accounting at DePaul University, and took a job with the Cook County clerk’s office.
In 1965, he was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat. He served four terms, ran two failed campaigns for Congress, then became the first appointed director of veterans affairs in Illinois.
He also spent several years with the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C., where he worked directly for President Ronald Reagan as the V.A. representative who handled benefits supplied to the Marines injured in Beirut. Before he became too ill to work, Houlihan supervised the Cook County Veteran’s Assistance Commission.

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Les Waters

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Categories: Heroes

lwaters.jpgDavid “Les” Waters was the kind of firefighter who was well-respected by his men. He fought the fire at every fire, no matter what.
For almost 30 years, Mr. Waters rose through the ranks in Sacramento, from engineer to captain to battalion chief. After retiring in 1974, he helped organize the Pioneer Mutual Hook and Ladder Association, which is working toward building a firefighting museum.
Waters died Friday from Parkinson’s disease. He was 84.

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Marian Galvin Nuber

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Categories: Heroes

Marian Galvin Nuber was once a local hero.
In 1934, she received a Carnegie Hero Fund medal for rescuing a man from drowning in Long Lake near Port Orchard, Wash. The man’s canoe had capsized and as he struggled in the water, Nuber swam over to him and pulled him to safety — by his ear. She used the $500 prize money to attend art school but left early to marry Jim Galvin in 1937.
Galvin founded Galvin Flying Service in Seattle, which still operates out of Boeing Field. Ironically, Nuber didn’t like to fly.
Nuber died on June 14. Cause of death was not released. She was 94.

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