Dragons Veteran Salute Program, Presented by CareSource Military & Veterans, Honors Ovidio Pugnale on April 27

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Dragons Veteran Salute Program, Presented by CareSource Military & Veterans, Honors Ovidio Pugnale on April 27

April 23, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Dayton Dragons News Release


DAYTON, OHIO - CareSource Military & Veterans and the Dayton Dragons will host United States Air Force veteran Ovidio Pugnale during the Dragons Veteran Salute Program presented by CareSource Military & Veterans on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 1:05PM when the Dayton Dragons take on the West Michigan Whitecaps at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Sunday will be the first of five special Veteran Salute dates of the 2025 season.

The Dragons Veteran Salute Program presented by CareSource Military & Veterans™ provides veterans in the Dayton region with a once-in-a-lifetime experience to celebrate their service to their country. Each honoree has their story shared in front of the crowd at Day Air Ballpark, followed by a standing ovation in appreciation of the veteran's hard work and dedication both in military and civilian accomplishments.

Colonel Ovidio Pugnale's Story:

Retired Colonel Ovidio Pugnale was born in Northern Italy in 1933. His father was in the Battle of Caporetto in WWI and was a prisoner of war that escaped. Once he got out of the military, his father did not want his family to go through the Nazi invasion and brought Ovidio, his mother, and older sister to America. After traveling for two weeks by boat and train, they arrived in Canton, Ohio.

In 1949, he began working in the brick yard before he started college at Kent State University. This was during the Korean War, so he decided to join ROTC, where he completed the Aviation Cadet Program and joined the Air Force as a Navigator in San Antonio, Texas.

He graduated from Navigator School in the top three of his class and was able to choose his assignment. He selected McGuire Air Force Base where he would fly four times a month to Frankfurt, Germany. He then attended pilot training before becoming a First Lieutenant at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) as a Co-Pilot on B-52s where he finished his bachelor's degree with the University of Omaha.

Major Pugnale served in various places including Robins AFB in Georgia as an Aircraft Commander, Puerto Rico with the reserves, Vietnam where he was assigned to the Army strategic targeting office, the Headquarters of Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Offutt AFB, and he even completed Air War College in Montgomery, AL where he also completed his master's degree from Auburn University. He later returned to WPAFB as the 34th Bomb Squadron Commander and finished this stint at WPAFB as the 17th Bomb Wing Commander and SAC air crew liaison to the original B-1 design team.

In 1977, he was promoted to full Colonel and sent to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as the Director of Operations. He returned to WPAFB in 1979 as Director of Computer Operations. He amassed a combined total of over 7000 flying hours as a navigator and pilot. He retired as a full Colonel in 1980 with a Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Joint Service and Air Force Commendation Medals.

After a short retirement, his wife found him a new job and Mr. Pugnale went on to run several successful companies from 1981-2013. Most notably, he purchased AM Bruning Micrographics to form Image Memory Systems (IMS) and became a pioneer and nationwide leader in engineering micrographics and engineering document scan conversion solutions.

Retired Colonel Ovidio Pugnale now enjoys spending time with his wife of 69 years, Val, and their four sons. In 2018, at the age of 84, he even ran a 10K at the Air Force Marathon.

To nominate a veteran in your life for the Veteran Salute Program presented by CareSource Military & Veterans, please visit daytondragons.com/veteransalute.

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