April 22, 2008Oliver P. Ditch - Biography
Born in Lafayette, La., the youngest of 6 children.
He attended Catholic schools: Mt. Carmel Grammer School and Cathedral High School.
He received a B.A. degree in Geography from Southwestern Louisiana Institute (currently The University of Louisiana at Lafayette - "Ragin Cajuns") and an ROTC Commission as a 2nd Lt. in the USAF in 1959.
He married his college sweetheart, Shirley Ann LeBlanc, from Abbeville, La. They are blessed with four children and 8 grand children.
He served 22 years in the USAF as an Imagery Intelligence Officer attaining the rank of full Colonel.
While in the Air Force he was awarded The Legion of Merit, The Bronze Star, The Defense Meritorious Service Medal, The Air Force Meritorious Service Medal w/3 oakleaf clusters, The National Defense Service Medal, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/palm, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Upon retirement from the Air Force in 1983 he went to work for Hughes Aircraft Co. He was with Hughes for 13 years where he was the Manager of Data Systems in Arlington, Va.
In 1995, after retiring from Hughes, he founded his own company called InterPublishing Group - an internet web site development company.
He was an active member of the two Chambers of Commerce in Prince William County, VA and became vice-president of Business Resources for the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce.
He sold InterPublishing Group and retired for a third time in 2001. He became active in various efforts to support our active-duty military and in some conservative political campaigns. Most notably, he personally signed up more than 80,000 Veterans to support President Bush in 2004 through the website Vets4Bush.com.
He recently started the web site http://Vets4McCain.com to rally Veterans in support for John McCain for President.
He is active in Various Troops Support Campaigns, including being the founder of the website http://TroopsSupport.com, and a member and supporter of Gathering of Eagles (http://GatheringOfEagles.org). He is a member of American Legion Post 364, and The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 617.
He and his wife currently live in Woodbridge, VA.