A three-time Purple Heart recipient and U.S. Marine Corps veteran will no longer will be grabbing buckets when it pours down rain outside his Bellefontaine residence, worried about his older roof and the inevitable water leaks around the chimney flashing.
Charley Marlow, a dedicated husband, father and grandfather, and his family are feeling especially grateful this Thanksgiving season after he was named the winner of Lee’s Roofing Inc.’s fourth annual veteran roofing giveaway earlier this month.
Roofing company owner Lee Wilcoxon said the roof giveaway has been such a rewarding annual project since its inception. He loved hearing about Mr. Marlow’s reaction to the news that he would be receiving a brand new roof, which was completed by Lee’s Roofing crews Nov. 13 and 14.
Mr. Marlow’s wife, Vicki, nominated him for this honor. They have lived at their Blair Avenue residence since their marriage in 1976.
“They have been so appreciative,” Mr. Wilcoxon said. “Vicki was jumping up and down and she said Charley was tearing up when he heard the news.
“This has been such an enjoyable project for us to be able to honor local veterans and a practical way that we can extend our deep appreciation for their service.”
Mr. Marlow, who celebrated his 78th birthday in October, was born in Tennessee and his family moved to Ohio when he was 6 years old, settling in Sidney.
A 1966 Sidney High School graduate, he joined the Marine Corps in 1966, serving for four years during the Vietnam War. The distinguished service member was wounded three times during the war, but he persevered and stayed the hard-fought course.
Mrs. Marlow noted in her nomination letter for her husband that he also suffers the effects of Agent Orange, including heart issues, diabetes and diabetic neuropathy.
Stateside, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune and then was sent to Virginia for further specialty training. He later was deployed to Scotland on a nuclear submarine tender, and then was honorably discharged in Washington state.
The longtime city resident, who also served with the Ohio Army National Guard, began working for AMP in Sidney after the war. For many years, he was employed by SuperFoods and then eventually retired after 32 years from Nash Finch at the age of 62.
His new roof is a high-dimension roof with desert rose shingles, with Lee’s Roofing representatives noting that the supplier ABC Roofing Supplies Inc. donated all accessories and Owens Corning Duration Shingles also provided a rebate when they learned about the veteran roof giveaway.
Again this year, Lee’s Roofing received many deserving area veteran nominees for the program, and it’s always a difficult decision to determine the winner, Mr. Wilcoxon said.
“A lot of it is based on need and the current shape of the roof — where we can make the most difference for the veteran. We replaced all of the decking underneath Charley’s roof, and we’re so glad we could do this for him in time for the winter season.”
Next year, the company aims to expand the giveaway and honor two recipients by getting additional suppliers on board.
Individuals can submit new nominations for the 2025 Logan County veteran roof giveaway through several methods — via e-mail to e-mail to Office Administrator Joni Burton at [email protected]; mailing to the office at: 805 E. Columbus Ave., Bellefontaine, OH, 43311; or dropping off at business during regular office hours.
The nominations should include the nominee’s name, address and a contact phone number, and participants are invited to provide information regarding why a new roof would be beneficial for this nominated Logan County veteran.