A Galion resident who served in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm now runs a downtown coffee shop and takes part in several local organizations, according to Crawford County Now.
Dwayne Castle enlisted in 1990 after growing frustrated with an employer. He attended basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois that October, then was stationed out of Little Creek, Virginia, entering the fleet as a seaman.
Castle deployed to the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Portland (LSD-37), an amphibious dock landing ship, the outlet reported. His duties included deck department work managing the bosun's locker, serving as second loader on a 3-inch, 50-caliber gun, standing lookout watch, and acting as helmsman. During the deployment, he recalled seeing the USS Tripoli after it struck a mine and was towed past with a large hole in its hull.
He served on active duty from 1990 to 1992 and then in the Individual Ready Reserve from 1992 to 1998. He said he left active duty to help raise his children and has lived in Galion for more than three decades.
Ole Dog's Coffee Culture opened in April 2023 at 204 Harding Way E. in Galion, sharing a storefront with his wife Deborah's business, Sparrow's Haven Gifts and Decor. The shop is named for the couple's rescue dog, Elsa. Castle said the business is about coffee-making and about connection among people.
He is also involved with the local Chamber of Commerce, the Galion Main Street board, the Crawford County CEO program, and Love Action Church in Crestline.