The O. W. Merrell Meritorious Service Award, named in honor of O. W. "Whitey" Merrell, the man affectionately known as the "Grandaddy of the Ohio State Highway Patrol," is awarded annually to the officer whose meritorious act best exemplifies the ideals of selfless public service.

The following is a listing of O. W. Merrell Meritorious Service Award recipients and a brief description of the act which the award honored.

1934 -- Scott B. Radcliffe
Dove into an icy canal to save a motorist trapped in a crashed auto. Saved the victim's life by holding his head above water for nearly a half-hour until relief help arrived.

1935 -- Owen A. Clark
Performed artificial respiration, saving the life of a float driver who was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes during the Van Wert Peony Festival parade.

1936 -- (None)

1937 -- Fred S. Van Allen
Performed artificial respiration, saving the life of a motorist suffering from electrical shock following a traffic crash.

1938 -- Carl. W. Whipple
Shot and killed a desperate criminal and captured another after a wild chase and gunfight near Milford.

1939 -- Merrell A. Mock
Slew a robber wanted in several cities during a holdup in 1939.

1940 -- Lawrence D. Alexander/Edward L. Meyer
Cited as a team for the capture of three of four armed robbers.

1946 -- Charles F. Shaw
Only award for war years. Cited for two incidents: Captured two armed felons, rescuing them from burning vehicle (1941); Captured two felons wanted for a series of robberies (1944).

1947 -- Clyde E. Wells
Alertly disarmed a felon who threatened his life during a traffic stop.

1948 -- James E. Mansperger
After a chase and wild gunfight through Columbus streets, captured two criminals.

1949 -- Norman J. McClurg
Captured three men involved in a series of crimes.

1950 -- Kenneth M. Fitzgivens
Saved four people from a burning vehicle after a fiery traffic crash.

1951 -- Richard A. Jakmas
Arrested two of three bank robbers, later located the third and apprehended him after being shot in the abdomen.

1952 -- Joseph V. Seryak
Outstanding investigation of million-dollar enterprise which sold horse meat labeled as beef.

1952 -- Raymond H. Opp
Captured two deranged Lima State Hospital escapees with no serious harm after a hand-to-hand battle.

1953 -- Frank A. Denison
Killed a fugitive who had just shot his wife, saving the woman's life.

1954 -- Clifford R. Kimber
Saved the life of a fellow patrolman and a civilian following a fiery three-car crash.

1955 - (None)

1956 -- Robert W. Newell
Captured two of three fugitives at a roadblock where a deputy was killed.

1956 -- Jack D. Butler
Apprehended four robbers, breaking a string of robberies across the state.

1957 -- Augustine P. Giuffre
Continuation of fight after being shot and seriously wounded by two suspects.

1958 -- Leroy J. Verbon
Returned fire of an escaped federal prisoner, then captured him, saving the life of another police officer.

1959 -- Stewart W. Madlem
Continuous acts of good police work; including: capture of kidnappers; apprehension of carjacker; auto larceny investigations.

1960 -- Chester D. Stratton
Entered raging water and rescued a mother and four children stranded on an island created by a flash flood.

1961 -- Dwight E. Horn
Single-handedly apprehended an armed bank robber who was carrying dynamite.

1962 -- George C. Fisher
Saved occupants of a burning car and extinguished the fire.

1963 -- Robert M. Dolder
Disarmed a distraught woman who had just fatally wounded her husband. Was shot in the thigh during the apprehension.

1964 -- Gale R. Compton
Rescued two children from burning and smoke-filled house.

1965 -- Clifford L. Russell
Shot in abdomen during traffic stop; returned fire, killing suspect, then refused to leave scene until other patrolmen arrived.

1966 -- Kenneth J. McCloud
Captured an escaping jailbreaker and wounded another who was firing at police officers being held hostage.

1967 -- Wendell W. Webb
Outstanding investigation determining a highway death was the result of foul play rather than a crash.

1968 -- Carl. L. Brown/Ronald E. Strunk
Waded through cold, swiftly moving water to rescue crash victims trapped in their vehicle.

1969 -- Benny L. Mikes
Rescued and prolonged the life of a motorist trapped in a submerged vehicle.

1970 - (None)

1971 -- Charles S. Lauver
Rescued two victims trapped in a demolished and burning truck.

1972 -- William C. Rensi
Rescued a man trapped in his burning car.

1973 -- James J. Fullencamp
Freed five children and a mother being held hostage by two prison escapees.

1974 -- Gerald L. Hunsicker
Captured two felons suspected in several robberies and the killing of three police officers in another state.

1975 -- Charles S. Lauver
After being shot by a motorist, returned fire. Although seriously injured, took custody of the passenger and secured the scene until help arrived.

1976 -- Michael E. Quinn
Rescued an elderly couple trapped in their burning vehicle.

1977 - (None)

1978 -- Douglas B. Turpening
Saved the life of several residents of a burning apartment. Entered building, awakened residents on the third floor, helped them down rescue ladders.

1979 -- Robert M. Skelding
Freed and rescued a motorist pinned in a burning vehicle.

1980 -- Frederick A. Raby
Rescued two hostages held by three armed felons travelling on the Ohio Turnpike.

1981 -- Robert E. Lloyd
Saved members of Gov. James A. Rhodes's family following an explosion and fire on a boat. Rescued a child who fell into the burning engine compartment, led others to safety.

1982 -- Michael W. Finamore
Rescued a fellow officer overcome by carbon monoxide fumes while sleeping at the Academy.

1983 -- Rick A. Ream
Captured three dangerous suspects who had just committed two brutal murders.

1984 -- Robert L. Matthews
Pulled two motorists from a vehicle completely engulfed in flames.

1985 -- Grant C. Carper
Safely apprehended a man who chased a woman into the post parking lot, trying to kill her. Disarmed and secured suspect after a hand-to-hand fight.

1986 -- Harry E. Schwind
Chased, safely halted, and apprehended a rapist driving a semi-truck at high speeds through the city of Columbus.

1987 -- Bernard J. Lodrick/Robert A. Priestas
Entered burning car to free and rescue a pinned driver and injured motorist.

1988 -- Jeffrey C. Lewis
Rescued an unconscious crash victim trapped in a burning vehicle.

1989 -- Eric A. Weaver
Accomplished the peaceful arrest of two heavily armed suspects driving a stolen car despite their intentions of disarming and killing him.

1990 -- Audali J. Torres
After a high-speed crash, pulled an injured passenger from a burning vehicle and extinguished her burning clothes and hair.

1991 -- William J. Abrams
Rescued a young kidnap victim and arrested suspect without incident.

1992 -- James J. Holt
Extinguished a fire, then rescued two elderly motorists trapped in a vehicle following a crash.

1993 -- [None]

1994 -- Lee A. Sredniawa
Survived a close-range, hand-to-hand gunfight with a subject who had just killed a deputy. Despite being shot twice, covered the mortally injured deputy until assistance arrived.

1995 -- Jeffrey G. Fisher
Selflessly pushed a man from the path of a vehicle traveling at freeway speeds, only to be struck and seriously injured himself.

1996 -- [None]

1997 -- Tpr. Todd A. Scales, Bucyrus Post
For placing his life in danger to rescue two women from an icy creek in Wyandot County on January 24, 1997. The women were trapped in their car which had gone over a bridge and into the freezing water. Upon arriving at the scene, Tpr. Scales tied a rope around himself and swan to the car, but the 20-mile-per-hour current swept him past the vehicle. Knowing the victims faced hypothermia, he again attempted the rescue but returned to the river bank when he felt himself grow weak and numb from the cold. He reassured the victims that help was on the way. An emergency squad arrived and the women were removed by boat. Tpr. Scales was treated for exposure and hypothermia at a nearby hospital.

1998 -- Tpr. Jeff Kramer, Piqua Post

1999 -- Sgt. John Lenkey, Lisbon Post
For placing his own life in danger in an attempt to save the life of an armed man on January 30, 1999. Following a brief pursuit in which the driver periodically pointed a handgun to his head, the suspect left his vehicle and walked into a wooded area. During the standoff between the suspect, he continually threatened officers by pointing his gun at them, and then at himself. After a 17 minute conversation with the suspect, Sgt. Lenkey persuaded him to surrender.

2000 -- Tpr. Paul E. Appleman and Tpr. Richard C. Chesar, Cambridge Post,
For their heroic, lifesaving efforts under life-threatening circumstances. In the early morning hours of September 30, 2000, Tpr. Appleman and his coach, Tpr. Chesar, observed a vehicle driving erratically. Tpr. Appleman turned around, but did not immediately catch up to the vehicle. After following the vehicle onto State Route 146, the troopers discovered the car on its top in a ditch. The doors were jammed shut and all four occupants were trapped inside. As the troopers began work to free the vehicle occupants, Tpr. Chesar noticed that the car’s engine was on fire. Tpr. Appleman retrieved his fire extinguisher, but was unable to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, Tpr. Chesar broke the vehicle’s rear window and helped the rear seat occupants from the car. One of the occupants was combative and made attempts to reenter the car before Tpr. Chesar restrained him. Tpr. Appleman then assisted the driver from the burning vehicle. The final passenger remained trapped in her seat as flames engulfed the front of the car. Tpr. Appleman climbed into the vehicle, freed the passenger, and pulled her from the burning car.

2001 -- Tpr. Stephen W. Roe, Marietta Post
For placing his own life in danger to save two elderly women from a burning building on Feb. 8, 2001. Tpr. Roe noticed heavy black smoke coming from an apartment building on State Route 339 in Beverly. He notified local police and fire departments and then rushed into the building. He knocked on all the first floor doors, until thick smoke made him turn back. Once outside, he noticed a woman knocking on an upstairs window. Tpr. Roe told her to go to a back window, away from the fire. Two police officers arrived on the scene and helped Tpr. Roe up to the second-story window. He broke the window, helped the woman out, and handed her down to the police officers. The rescued woman informed them there was another woman in the building. Tpr. Roe ran back to the front of the building and kicked in a ground level window. He crawled into an apartment where he found the elderly woman in a bedroom. He carried her back to the window and handed her out to the officers.

2002 -- Tpr. Joshua A. Weaver, Granville Post
For placing his own life in danger to save a man from a commercial vehicle fire on October 30. Tpr. Weaver responded to the scene of a commercial vehicle crash on I-70 in Licking County. Upon his arrival, he found the tractor engulfed in flames. He requested emergency assistance and then cautiously approached the trailer to determine if its load included any hazardous materials. Finding no indicators, he saw heavy smoke in the cab of the tractor. Tpr. Weaver forced his way to the driver-side window of the tractor. He then used his flashlight to break the glass and allow some of the smoke to escape. When he pried open the cab door, he saw the driver trapped, but was unable to free him. As the flames grew, a bystander gave Tpr. Weaver a fire extinguisher to fight the fire, but it had grown too large and intense. He then tried to use the victim’s coat to smother the flames that had engulfed the man, but that effort also proved futile. Already suffering from smoke inhalation and burns on his hands, Tpr. Weaver reluctantly realized he had to retreat or risk losing his own life. Despite his heroic efforts, the victim died in the fire.

2003 -- [None]

2004 -- Tpr. Rodney A. Hart, Tpr. Chad A. Maines, and Tpr. Brian D. Foltz, Granville Post
For valor for rescuing a woman from a vehicle fire that was the result of a crash on State Route 161, west of Granville on July 4. At approximately 2:38 a.m., troopers responded to a one vehicle crash and found the vehicle engulfed in flames. Tpr. Hart used his fire extinguisher to break out the front passenger window. Through the smoke, the troopers observed the driver, who was unconscious. Tpr. Hart was able to control the flames enough for Tpr. Foltz and Tpr. Maines to pull the driver from the vehicle and administer first aid until fire and emergency personnel arrived at the scene.

2005 -- Tpr. Dallas E. Root, Lebanon Post
For valor for his lifesaving actions on February 24 to save the life of a crash victim in a freezing pond on Interstate 71 in Warren County on February 24,2005. Tpr. Root responded to several calls reporting a tractor trailer in a ditch on northbound Interstate 71. At the scene, he found the vehicle had run off the highway and into a pond. The tractor trailer was approximately 50 feet from the bank and almost completely submerged. The driver, who had initially made his way to the roof of the cab, was now in the freezing water hanging onto the driver’s door rearview mirror. Tpr. Root radioed for rescue personnel and then joined four bystanders who had unsuccessfully tried to reach the victim with a rescue rope and were trying to persuade the man to swim to shore. When the victim indicated that he could not swim, Tpr. Root advised his dispatcher that he might have to go into the water because it was obvious the man was getting tired and having trouble hanging on. Realizing the time was running out, Tpr. Root stripped down to his undershirt and uniform pants and tied the rescue rope to his belt. He asked the bystanders to hold the rope as he went into the icy water. Disregarding his own safety, Tpr. Root swam out to the victim. The driver let go and immediately went underwater. He went after the man, pulled him up, and began swimming for shore as the other drivers pulled rope. When he reached the bank, he instructed the bystanders to remove the victim’s wet clothing and cover him with blankets. Emergency medical personnel arrived moments later and transported the driver to a local hospital.

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