Bellaire native joins Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo by Emma Delk Mark Landers, center, poses for a photo with his daughters and their husbands at a Cincinnati Bengals game. The retired US Army colonel, a native of Bellaire, is being inducted Nov. 7 into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

BELLAIRE — A Bellaire native will be named to join U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Wayne “Woody” Hayes as a member of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

Retired US Army Col. Mark Landers’ rank and philanthropic efforts in his community earned him a spot among the 20 new inductees chosen from 81 nominees. The Dayton resident believes growing up in the Ohio Valley instilled in him the grit and leadership skills to thrive in his military career and post-duty charitable endeavors.

Landers’ path to the Hall of Fame began with his decision to join the military, fueled by his family’s competitive spirit. Landers wanted to reach the rank of officer, which his uncles, who served in the Navy and Army, never held.

“We’ve always been competitive as a family, so I think I’ve always wanted to join the military because of my uncles.” Landers said. “They were always great mentors and gave me good advice.”

While Landers’ uncles supported his decision, his mother, Donna Jean Landers, who raised him as a single mother in Bellaire, was not as thrilled with his choice.

“To be honest, she probably didn’t want me to join the army,” Landers said. “She supported me, but she always wanted me to go to law school and come back to practice in the valley.”

Despite his mother’s fears, Landers joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps during his sophomore year at Kent State University. After graduating in 1974, Landers was commissioned as a second lieutenant and headed to Aberdeen, Maryland, to complete basic officer training.

Landers then traveled from Maryland to Fort Lee, Virginia to complete the Supply and Service Officers Course and finished in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served as a procurement officer.

In addition to fulfilling his original goal of attaining a higher rank than his uncles, Landers found a home in the military. He noted the camaraderie among his brothers in arms “Second no problem.”

“You meet people from all walks of life – rich, poor, black, white – but we’ve all come together for the same purpose in the service of our country.” Landers said. “That’s why we generally don’t have the problems you have in military society. You are judged by performance, not by the color of your skin or how much money you have. I like that.”

Landers remained on active duty until 1977 and then went on to serve another 27 years in the Army Reserve. During this time, Landers rose to the rank of colonel.

After his active duty, Landers entered a career that his mother fully supported: the legal field. After a year of employment with the National Response Corp., Landers enrolled in the University of Dayton School of Law in 1981.

“I joined the army because of my uncles and then entered the legal profession to follow my mother’s wishes,” Landers summarized. “My mother is not picky, but often what she says goes well.”

While Landers admitted to law school it was “difficult,” he noted, “If you’re going to fail (law school), you generally fail the first year.” He found that the discipline he had acquired through his service got him through his first year.

“Practicing law is a continuous learning operation because the law changes daily, so you have to keep up with it.” Landers said. “The military is the same in that you have to keep up with new practices. The military I was in in 1974 compared to when I retired in 2005 was so different because of our new technology today.”

Landers’ more than 42-year legal career included time spent as an attorney for the US government, during which he successfully handled more than 300 cases involving more than $1 billion in litigation. Landers said many of his cases were “very long” and could recall a six-month trial in Washington, DC

Although Landers wore a suit and tie during the week as a lawyer, donning his military uniform on weekends to participate in annual training or weekend drills was the most fulfilling for him.

“I always looked forward to those training opportunities,” Landers said. “I ordered several units and loved it.”

After retiring from the reserves in 2005, Landers admitted that he did “too much time on his hands” which led him to discover another passion in his life — coaching. The leadership skills he gained as a colonel gave him the skills to coach Dayton’s local high school football teams.

“Commanding an army unit is like coaching a football team.” Landers noted. “You have to be a motivator, you have to be disciplined, you have to know what you are doing and you have to know how you are going to execute it. If you can’t do those four things, it’s not going to work for you.”

Landers’ coaching career has been tied to his efforts to get involved in his community. He was a founding member of Just a Pair of Shoes, which provides Nike shoes to children in need and raises substantial funds for local charities through 100+ Men Who Care.

The nonprofit has distributed more than 2,000 pairs of shoes and more than 100 men who care have donated nearly $500,000 over the past eight years to various charities in the Dayton area.

Landers also found a way to link his leadership skills to military involvement after retirement. He served as Montgomery County Veterans Service Commissioner for 10 years and as Executive Director of the Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission from 2018 to 2019.

Another way Landers found he could lead his fellow veterans was by playing a role in developing VetsLink, an online service that connects veterans to the resources they need.

Landers now advocates for veterans through his private legal practice. He is a Veterans Association Accredited Attorney and an expert VA benefits insurance attorney.

Bridging his military and legal careers, Landers clarified “complicated” VA Benefit System for Fellow Veterans. He noted that veterans often do not know what benefits they are entitled to because they do not know how to put together a claim package, make legal arguments or collect the necessary documentation.

“The saddest cases are Vietnam veterans and even older veterans who have serious medical problems who don’t know what they’re entitled to,” Landers said. “I’ve helped a lot of people and will continue to do so because being a veteran allows me to develop an instant rapport with a fellow veteran.”

Landers wants to expand his work securing VA benefits by partnering with other attorneys to form a nonprofit organization to cover legal fees for veterans who must use attorneys to secure their benefits.

Landers considers his work as an advocate for his brothers in arms to be the crowning glory of his military and legal career.

“In general, I know the background of many of the veterans I work with for legal advice, and they know something about my background.” Landers added. “I think that gives me credibility with them, and I’ve never paid a veteran a dime.”

Landers believes his military service developed his leadership skills, allowing him to become a successful attorney, coach and community leader.

Landers credits the combination of his high military rank and various charitable endeavors during his post-military career with earning him a spot in the 2024 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

What drove Landers through his various military, legal and philanthropic endeavors is his own “commitment to see the mission through.” He noted that this responsibility was instilled in the military.

“I try to instill this commitment in my football team” Landers added. “I tell my players, ‘You have to do more than what you’re doing here in training, or you’re going to wake up here in the near future and be a very unhappy person.’

While the military has sharpened his drive to accomplish his goals, Landers believes growing up in Bellaire, Ohio, made him the leader he is today.

“Growing up in Bellaire, being raised by a single mom, gave me my leadership skills.” Landers said. “Going to St. John Central Academy also made me the leader I am today because the academics were challenging, and that required discipline. That leadership base developed much further in the military, but I was always disciplined because of where I grew up.”

Landers is excited about his induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame because the award recognizes not only his accomplishments in the military, but also his impact on his community.

“I am very proud and humbled to be given this opportunity and to be able to share it with my friends and family.” Landers said. “I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done and it all goes back to that tough guy attitude I grew up with in the valley.”

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