The 2015 class of Steuben County Hall of Fame was honored on May 2. As usual, they were three in number. All three are deceased. All three are male. All three are military veterans, but only one was honored strictly for his military service, and one partly so.

JOHN KENNEDY lived so far back that we don’t have any clue about his appearance – not even a sketch or a silhouette. He was one of the Kennedys of Kennedyville – now called Kanona.

During the War of 1812 he was an ensign in the militia, and on October 31 of that year General van Rensellaer ordered an attack across the Niagara River. Many of the militia balked, insisting that they were organized only for defense of the state, not for an offensive out of the country into Canada.

The frustrated general asked for volunteers, and Kennedy stepped up. Once they had crossed his company captain reported himself sick and hustled back to the American side. When the new commander was badly wounded Kennedy gathered his own men and whatever disorganized troops he could find into a scratch company with himself at the head… all the time under fire. The Battle of Queenston Heights became a series of small fights, in which Kennedy led from the front, always in danger. He even led his untried and untrained force on a bayonet charge that broke up an attack by redcoat veterans.

Two years later he was back, now captain of a new Steuben County company at the siege of Fort Erie. Once he led a sortie to capture a fortified artillery position, drive off its troops, sabotage the big guns, and rush back to safety. Instead of medals in those days they gave out brevets, or honorary promotions. Kennedy was jumped up three ranks to colonel.

Back home he ran an inn a Kennedyville, held several public offices, and in 1825 became the second elected sheriff in Steuben history – the first to be elected without having earlier held the spot by appointment. Eventually he moved out Dansville way, but only spent six months there before his death at 42. Sad to say, no one now even knows where he’s buried.

JAMES W. EMPEY of Bath joined up for World War II when he turned 18, and in 1943 arrived in Corsica to start flying Spitfire fighter planes against the Germans. A year later he was using the far more modern P-51 Mustang, and in one of these he shot down five German aircraft – making himself an “ace” – in thirty days.

Considering that most pilots never shot down an enemy, this was a remarkable achievement – perhaps the only “ace” ever from Steuben County. After the war he became an Air Force test pilot.

A couple of decades later he was back in the fight, sick and tired, he said, of 18- and 19-year-olds coming back from Vietnam in body bags. Disbelieving youngsters called him the Red Baron as he slipped into the cockpit wearing his goggles, white scarf, and leather helmet from World War II. Now instead of testing cutting-edge aircraft he was taking to the skies in a slow unarmed Cessna O-1 “Bird Dog” (first used in 1947), getting in close to spot and mark enemy positions so that the F-100 Super Sabres could jet in and blast them. He retired as a lieutenant colonel with a Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and no less than 27 air medals.

Next week: a look at the third 2015 inductee, Dr. Joseph E. Paddock.