Ocala veteran honored during recent local ceremony

Empath Hospice of Marion County volunteer Jean Fernandez presents a commemorative blanket signed by well-wishers to retired U.S. Army captain Steve Petty at an event held Jan. 10, 2026, in Ocala at to recognize his induction to the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. [Photo by Andy Fillmore/Ocala Gazette]

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Posted January 16, 2026 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

Retired U.S. Army captain Steve Petty’s November 2025 induction into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame in Tallahassee recently was celebrated during a gathering at the Empath Hospice of Marion County Elliot Center in southwest Ocala.

Petty, 81, was inducted into the Class of 2025 Florida Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 6, 2025, in a ceremony in Tallahassee, hosted by the director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, along with four other veterans.

In 2023, Craig Ham, a retired Army colonel, was inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, making a pair of Marion County veterans chosen to date for the honor.

During his military service, Petty completed 1,000 combat assault missions and 1,261 flight hours as a UH-1D Huey helicopter pilot. He has been awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, 41 awards of the Air Medal with “V” for valor, an Army Commendation Medal and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, according to a program from the Jan 10 event.

Petty was praised during the Jan. 10 gathering in Ocala for his military record and his continuing advocacy for veterans. He serves with at least seven local veterans’ organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. He is president of the Vet Resource Center, which provides information to veterans on where to get help with issues from Agent Orange and burn pits to PTSD.

Petty said he was honored by the awards, but that he was not alone in helping fellow veterans.

“I’m very appreciative of the honors, but there are a lot of veterans in Marion County and Florida who are working equally hard to help veterans,” he said.

A moving testimony shared at the event about Petty’s war service was from a fellow veteran, Ken Peterson, who Petty and his helicopter crew plucked out of harm’s way in enemy territory on April 2, 1968, during the Vietnam War after Peterson ejected from his flaming aircraft

Peterson wrote a moving letter praising Petty and his rescuers, which was read aloud at the gathering by Bob Levenson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and chairman of the nonprofit Vet Resource Center in Ocala.

“He got us home,” Peterson wrote.

Peterson wrote that he raised a family after the war and served as a New Hampshire State Representative, thanks to being rescued by Petty and crew.

Petty said that after Peterson was rescued, two of his three-man crew were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross medal.

Marion County Commissioner Craig Curry was the keynote speaker at the event. Matthew Cretul presented a proclamation from the Marion County Board of County Commissioners. Vietnam War veteran and Ocala City Councilman James Hilty Sr. presented a proclamation from the city. U.S. Navy veteran Don Kennedy presented a proclamation from the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard, which posted and retired colors at the event.

The honor guard provides military honored at hundreds of veteran funerals annually and performs military functions at dozens of events locally each year. Kennedy said as president and director, Petty assisted with “appearance and paperwork” and revised some procedures.

Navy veteran Tom Jones offered an invocation and benediction. Arisa Helbick, volunteer veteran coordinator for Empath Hospice of Marion County, led the pledge of allegiance. Empath Hospice of Marion County volunteer Jean Fernandez presented a commemorative blanket signed by well-wishers to Petty during the event. Beverly Lafferty, director of volunteer and veteran services for Empath Hospice of Marion County, served as emcee.

Petty’s photo will be displayed at the Mission BBQ restaurant’s Wall of Honor, Lafferty said.

Charles Calhoun, president of the Marion County Veterans Council, said one of Petty’s uniforms was on display in a glass case at Cody’s restaurant. He once received a call that the medals were missing. Calhoun said it turned out there were so many medals on the uniform, the weight had torn the pocket off, and it was lying inside the bottom of the glass case.

Marion County veterans may want to note that the Vet Resources Center administers the Galleri early warning cancer detection test at no cost to them. The test usually costs $949. Administered by Kathy Henderson, the VRC secretary, the test already has been given to 650 local veterans and a number of them have had positive indications for cancers.

The Galleri test, sponsored by the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard, was funded by a $600,000 Marion County Hospital District grant, $100,000 HUD Community Service Block grant through Marion County and a $59,000 donation from AdventHealth Ocala, according to the Oncology Risk in Overseas Service (ORIOS) website. Spouses of veterans and first responders can apply for discounted rates on the test, the site notes.

Levenson — whose wife, Grace Donlevy, along with Petty’s wife, Joan Lewis Petty, are both co-founders and officers with the VCR — said the testing program has been renewed for 2026.

Curt Bromund, CEO of the Marion County Hospital District Trust, was on hand for the Jan. 10 event. He said the liquid biopsy Galleri test administered to veterans exposed to toxins can detect 50 types of cancers.

For more information about the Galleri blood test, go to vetresourcecenter.com