T-L Photo/J.D. LONG Tom Teufel, left, and Matthew Schmidt, two military veterans, raise the American flag Friday in honor of World War II veteran Charles Coulson.

BRIDGEPORT — Another veteran was honored Friday morning when Tom Teufel, former member of the 101st Airborne and later the 173 rd Airborne Brigade, and Matthew Schmidt, Army retired, raised the Stars and Bars for Charles Coulson.

The small event took place on a ridge just off of Old Cadiz Road and a piece of land Teufel bought years ago from his childhood friend’s family.

Will Fruend is who the hill is named after and not far from the land he and Will played together while growing up.

The tradition began around 2003, not long after Teufel bought the land, and he’s been honoring deceased veterans ever since. Fruend was killed in action in May 1967, and Teufel said he didn’t find out until about a month later when a mother of a friend he’d been corresponding with notified him.

“If someone nominates a veteran, I’ll fly the flag for one month,” Teufel said.

As long as the veteran is nominated by a friend or family member and provides the veteran’s paperwork, which includes the military history. The veteran must be honorably discharged and must have been a combat veteran.

Teufel also saw plenty of combat, but he got out of the military in 1967 before Vietnam mushroomed into a controversial war.

Before that he was part of the first parachute mission since the Korean War, which took place in February of 1967, called Operation Junction City.

Teufel worked part-time in a Steubenville steel mill after coming home, then eventually found his way to the McElroy Mine in Marshall County, West Virginia. But he did see his share of combat and saw more than he would have liked.

“You kind of realize a lot of stuff later in life,” he said. “I’d seen my share I’d say.”

Teufel and Freund went to Vietnam together as part of the 101st but at some point, Tefuel was held back a week and felt it was to separate the two in their assignments because they were friends.

The day, though, was for Coulson, whose son owns Bill’s Towing and Recovery in Bridgeport. Coulson was a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II.

“I’d be glad to do it as long as they qualify,” Teufel said. If anyone is interested in nominating a veteran, Teufel can be reached at 740-921-8838.