Each year, DeLand honors service members with banners along Woodland Boulevard in Downtown DeLand. 2022’s heroes are profiled here.
Click on the names below to read more about this year’s Hometown Heroes, or keep scrolling to read all of the entries.
William J. Artis
Dakota Bachtell
Luis Bueso
John A. DeVito
Stephen P. DeVito
Samuel J. DeVito
Anthony DoMoe
Brian Hunter
Melvin Jones
Clayton Littell and Cameron Littell
Thomas McDaniel
Michael Montoye
Sean Mortimer
Jessica E. Ramsey
Roy Ray
Bryan G. Salazar II
Paul Sy
Dwight K. Wiles
William J. Artis
Maj. William J. Artis, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1994, was nominated as a Hometown Hero by his daughters Dawn Artis-Roberts and Heather Artis, as a Father’s Day gift. For Artis-Roberts, it was important that her father get recognition for his service while he was still around to see it.
Artis enlisted in the Air Force in 1967 and was later deployed to Vietnam. When he returned, his family moved with him from base to base, from California, to Hawaii, and finally to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where he eventually retired.
Artis and his wife of 54 years, Jill, have lived in DeLand for nearly 20 years, raising their two daughters.
“I love that this city can honor him and many others for their service and accomplishments,” Artis-Roberts said.
— Noah Hertz
Dakota Bachtell
DeLand native Sgt. Dakota Bachtell, 24, is one of many in his family to serve in the military. Inspired by his grandfather and childhood hero James Bachtell, who passed away in 2014 and who served in the Coast Guard, Bachtell decided to follow suit and serve his country. “He [James] passed away on July 17th, and then a few years later, when I went through basic [training], it was on July 17th too, so it’s like one of those things … I guess he does know,” Bachtell said.
He joined the Army in 2018 and was stationed in Washington state, where he currently serves at Joint Base Lewis-McChord as an engineer plumber for the jail. Bachtell wants to honor his grandfather, whom he was very close with, by leading a life his grandfather would be proud of.
— Carmen Cruz
Luis Bueso
Pvt. Luis Bueso was an Army brat who landed in Sanford, when his father Gustaveo was discharged from the service. Luis, 34, enlisted himself in 2012. He was in boot camp at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when he met online the woman he would marry, only to find out they grew up 20 miles from each other in Central Florida. Rachael, originally from Winter Springs, hails from a military family too. The couple have been married six years, and have three children: Eli, 11; Gabriel, 5; and baby Olivia, 2. They are fostering two more under the age of 10, to help a family member.
Bueso, a diesel mechanic, was working at Orlando Sanford International Airport when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and like many during that traumatic time, he was laid off. A service buddy got him a mechanic’s job in DeLeon Springs, Rachael said. They are living in DeLand now, in the first home they’ve bought together since Bueso left the Army in 2015. And they’re raising their kids in the hopes they’ll continue the tradition of service that runs on both sides of the family.
— Tory Brown
John A. DeVito
John A. DeVito, 74 and a Vietnam veteran, was born March 18, 1948. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on April 3, 1967, at 19 years old. During his time in the Marine Corps, he served as a flight equipment man.
Af ter leaving the Marine Corps on April 2, 1971, DeVito met, and then married, his wife of 50 years. They moved to North Lauderdale, where he worked as a Metro-Dade police officer for 12 years. After leaving the Metro-Dade Police Department, DeVito moved his family to Volusia County, where he owned his own Allstate business for 18 years. Since selling his business, DeVito has enjoyed his on and off retired life the past 20 years.
— Chris Graham
Stephen P. DeVito
Stephen DeVito, 46, joined the U.S. Marine Corps right after graduating from high school on June 6, 1994. He was an Aircraft Maintenance /Electrician and Refrigeration Mechanic. After being discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, he began working in the medical field. DeVito served his community as an emergency room nurse at Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, and Fish Memorial Hospital in Orange City. He has continued his career in the medical field and now is an emergency room director in Tampa.
— Chris Graham
Samuel J. DeVito
Samuel DeVito, 25, knew he was bound for the military after completing his freshman year of high school. He was a four-year participant in Orange City University High School’s Army Junior ROTC program, where he was their command sergeant major his senior year.
Not wasting any time, DeVito enlisted in the U.S. Army in October of his senior year and left for basic training on July 28, 2015, shortly after graduating from high school. A sergeant, he currently serves as a combat engineer and is stationed overseas with his wife at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.
— Chris Graham
Anthony DoMoe
“During my 20 years in the Navy, I served in Japan, Sicily, Indiana and San Diego. I started my career in helicopter maintenance and transitioned through various leadership, training, and process-management roles before retirement. Since retiring, my wife, Jeannine, and I relocated to Reno, Nevada, where I’ve worked in the health care and manufacturing industries, while raising our children (Mark, Amelia, Scarlett and Joe).”
— Chris Graham
Brian Hunter
Cpl. Brian Hunter was in the U.S. Marines 2002-2006, attended boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was deployed in Iraq for eight months in 2004. He joined up in his late 20s, a little later than most, he says. Hunter, 49, is caring for two sons, Jonathan, 15, and James, 11. His eldest son, Shawn, 26, is in veterinarian school.
What Hunter takes from his time as a Marine works in his life as a father, and his job in receiving at Pall Corp., a filter company, in DeLand.
“Discipline,” he mused, “teamwork, dedication to completing a mission. A task. I guess that translates well in civilian life.”
Would he want one of his younger sons to follow in his footsteps? “Jonathan just did ROTC in his first year at Deltona High,” Hunter said. “I think it would be nice, but you have to want to go in … I know I had a good time.”
— Tory Brown
Melvin Jones
Following his brother into the military, Melvin Jones, 71, was tasked with providing security clearances before tracking aviation traffic coming into and out of military airspace.
Jones served in Germany and was also stationed in Okinawa before coming back to the States. Jones traveled across the U.S. before settling in DeLand, where he worked for the city as a meter technician for 27 years before retiring in 2014.
Jones has been married to his wife, Barbara, for 31 years. Together, they have two children, four grandkids and three great-grandkids.
— Chris Graham
Clayton Littell and Cameron Littell
Two brothers, Clayton Littell, 31, and Cameron Littell, 26, followed in the footsteps of their grandfather, Earnest C. Littell, by serving in the U.S. Army. They also have numerous family members who also served in other branches of the military.
Clayton joined the Army Reserves in 2014 shortly after the passing of their grandmother. He served as a member of the 211th Regiment in Orlando, and reached the rank of sergeant before completing his duties. Clayton received an honorable discharge in 2022.
Cameron enlisted in the Army in 2018 shortly after the passing of their grandfather. He is currently on active duty serving as a crew chief in the “Redhawks” Assault Helicopter Battalion (AHB) of the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The two brothers also completed tours in Afghanistan, Clayton in 2019 and Cameron in 2021.
— Chris Graham
Thomas McDaniel
Thomas F. McDaniel III grew up in Sanford, Deltona and finally DeLand, where he attended St. Barnabas Episcopal School, and later graduated from DeLand High School.
McDaniel wanted to be a Marine since he was 5, and was determined to make that happen. At 17, he was sent to Parris Island for boot camp, finished in the top three in his class, and was considered an expert marksman. He was a good friend and best brother to all throughout school.
McDaniel chose the artillery in the Marines, and his sergeant said he was the most proficient in all of their weapon systems.
McDaniel was a part of the Operation Inherent Resolve campaign and was stationed in Iraq and Syria, and was part of the assault on Raqqa, where he was injured.
After he was honorably discharged, McDaniel helped with the Marines’ humanitarian relief effort to Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.
Returning home, he continued to be the same good friend and brother he always was, even if he didn’t know you. Often he would stop at accidents and help where he could. Friends and family could call him any time, and he would be there to help.
McDaniel died unexpectedly in October 2021. He was 25. Even in death, he helped people with the gift of his heart, lungs, liver and corneas. He left behind his parents, one sister and his adopted dog, Miller.
— Chris Graham
Michael Montoye
Michael Montoye joined the Marines in 1993, doing his basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. “It was hard work, and some days were miserable,” he said. “But I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Montoye, who is a superintendent with Starlight Homes, has been married to his wife, Amanda, for nearly 13 years. The couple have three children: Blake, 16, Bryson, 15, and Brayden, the youngest at 10. The family went to not one, but two fireworks shows — Lake Helen and DeLand — for the Fourth of July weekend.
It’s Montoye’s middle son, Bryson, who has aspirations to join the U.S. Air Force, and is going into his second year of Junior ROTC at DeLand High School. His father is pleased. “I made lifelong friends, and it made me the hardworking person I am today,” he said. “Those values will serve you forever.”
— Tory Brown
Sean Mortimer
Army Spc. Sean Mortimer, 22, is from DeLand and did his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He currently is stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and has been married to his wife, Shawna, since February. The two both went to DeLand High School, but a year apart, and didn’t know each other. But he knew her brother, Hunter Clay, who was in his class. Sean and Shawna’s first date was at the Volusia County Fair in 2019.
The next year, Mortimer joined the Army, eventually undergoing extra airborne training at Fort Benning. He was recently promoted to specialist, and was selected for one of the top airborne-training programs.
“He’s what they call a ‘cavalry scout,’” Shawna said. “He’s the eyes and ears in the field,” she explained, with more than a little pride in her voice.
— Tory Brown
Jessica E. Ramsey
Born and raised in DeLand, Cpl. Jessica Ramsey, 30, is a fifth-generation DeLandite and comes from a family that has a lot of traditions. “I was born in DeLand in 1992, and my grandfather was born here in 1934,” Ramsey said. Following in her family’s footsteps, Ramsey joined the military in 2016, just like her father and grandfathers before her. “My father is retired from the Army, as are my grandfather and great-grandfather,” she said.
Family being so important, one of Ramsey’s fondest memories is when she graduated from basic training. “My dad got to watch me walk across the graduation stage about 30 years after he had done the same thing,” she said, “so that was pretty special.”
Now a corporal in the Army, Ramsey has traveled all over the world, gets to meet new people every day, and has impacted countless lives. She recommends joining the military to young people today, but advises of the need for patience and teamwork. “You have to have a lot of patience when dealing with both soldiers and civilians,” Ramsey said. “This is not an Army of one, it’s a team.”
While currently stationed in Texas, Ramsey will always be a DeLand girl at heart and thoroughly enjoys her trips home. “I always look forward to coming back to DeLand, and seeing how it’s changed and grown, and seeing all of my favorite spots that still exist,” she said.
— Chris Graham
Roy Ray
Known to his friends as “Big Bob,” Roy Ray served close to 25 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps (Air Force), including deployments during World War II and the Korean War. He rose to the rank of senior master sergeant.
Most of Ray’s military service was spent as a welder in Japan, where he worked on aircraft.
After his time in the military, Ray and his wife, Thelma, moved to the States, and would eventually settle in DeLand in 1965. They soon would put down roots in town, founding DeLand Metal Craft in 1967.
Together, Ray and his wife would have three children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
His granddaughter Brooke Whitaker said Ray was well known in the community and helped other businesses, like A1 Electric, get started. He was also a lifetime member of AMVETS, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the DeLand Bridge Club.
Ray died in 2013 at the age of 93.
— Chris Graham
Bryan G. Salazar II
Originally from New York, Bryan G. Salazar II, 25, graduated from Stetson University at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus was left without a graduation or many prospects. Feeling the unsteadiness of the nation at the time, he wanted a job that could withstand the whims of the world.
Because of his time spent in ROTC and his desire for service, he and his parents thought that a career in the Navy would be a great fit. “It was hard to see him go, but it was the best thing for him. With the pandemic, it was kind of stressful, we didn’t know what was going on, but … what matters to me is they’re [her children] doing phenomenal and they have a phenomenal future ahead of them,” said his mother, Charries Semidey.
Salazar, now an airman in the U.S. Navy, is currently stationed out of Bremerton, Washington, serving aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He is flourishing, according to his mother.
“We’re very proud of him,” Semidey said.
— Carmen Cruz
Paul Sy
Paul Sy enlisted in the Marine Corps straight after graduating from DeLand High School in 2013, with the military occupational specialty of infantryman. He deployed to Baghdad, Iraq (2016), and the Helmand Province, Afghanistan (2018), and has served at nearly all levels, from basic rifleman up to company first sergeant. Sy is currently serving as a drill instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.
“Throughout my time, I have seen and lived through many harsh and austere conditions in training and abroad, which made me truly appreciate the simpler things in life,” Sy said. “During those times, I made incredible bonds with people that would shed light in even the most unbearable of times. Those experiences would ultimately influence the way I would look at life and how I perceived time. As friends would come and go and either transition out of the service or get stationed far away, I would often wish I had more time with them for just one more laugh. So today I try to live each day not like it’s my last, but to live like it’s everyone else’s last, because you never know when you’re going to see them again. You can make more of almost everything, but you can’t make more time, so make it worth it with those you care about.”
— Chris Graham
Dwight K. Wiles
Petty Officer 3rd Class Dwight K. Wiles was nominated as a Hometown Hero by his wife, Diane Wiles. Her husband passed away in 2020, but Diane Wiles wanted everyone to know what a “fabulous” man he was.
Not only did he serve in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1973 during the Vietnam War, but he later served in the U.S. National Guard and as a local Florida Highway Patrol officer for more than 40 years. On top of all that, she said, he was a good guy.
“He served the state for many years after the military. He definitely put in some service to the folks,” Diane Wiles said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone over the years who didn’t like him. That’s hard to say about a lot!”
Dwight K. Wiles lived most of his life in Volusia County. He is survived by his wife, his brother — a recently retired Volusia County sheriff’s deputy — three daughters and five grandchildren.
In addition to his service, Diane Wiles said her husband loved his family, their pets and going on cruises.
— Noah Hertz
