James “Jim” Fortune, 65, was recently inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. The Union resident also has more than 20,000 certified volunteer hours with the Dayton VA Medical Center.

“I’m a double amputee (from injuries in Vietnam), and I have been certified by the VA hospital to work on the rehab floor with veterans that have various types of disabilities,” Fortune said.

Fortune started volunteering in 1999. He also volunteers in the ICU and Hospice unit at the Dayton VA Medical Center. He also serves as CEO of the National Cemetery support committee.

Fortune served in the Army for four years and the reserves for two years. He completed his military career in 1972.

He worked for a diagnostic X-ray equipment business before starting his own business, Fortune X-ray Inc., in 1979. He retired in 1994. He has been married for 47 years and has one son.

Fortune also repairs mobility equipment, including motorized wheelchairs and scooters, and gives them to veterans in need.

“I spend my time at the VA hospital doing whatever needs to be done,” he said. “I have received tremendous support from the veterans of foreign wars. My local post is VFW 9582, in Vandalia. I couldn’t do many things I do at the hospital without them.”

Branch of service, rank, years in service: U.S. Army Special Forces Airborne, enlisted Specialist 5, four years of service

How person got involved in the military: “I was drafted. I was going to school at Wright State University and I was paying my way through college myself. Two months into service I decided to enlist.”

What actions he performed: “My major duty was to maintain radio equipment and communications. I had a secret and top secret clearance because I worked with cryptic equipment. I was also a certified military instructor for the Army Electronic School in Georgia.”

Most satisfying part about the person’s work: “I met a lot of my students whom I trained in electronics in radio and radar repair when I got to Vietnam and to see them excel and be better than I was very satisfying to me as a teacher.”

Most memorable moment of service: “It was five days after I was in country at Long Vinh, Vietnam; it was the MACV USARV headquarters. We were attacked; it was the Tet offensive. It changes the whole complexion of the war. It was during that attack that a combat general I met a few days before turned to me and said ‘Son, keep these radios working or we’re all dead.’ ”