Ohio adjutant general announces Army National Guard facility memorialization selections

Courtesy Photo | Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, announced recently that seven Ohio Army National Guard facilities will be dedicated in honor of former members who valiantly served the nation in the 20th century. The selections were made as part of the Army Memorial Program, which provides a permanent, lasting honor to distinguished personnel who served with valor and distinction. (Ohio National Guard graphic/Photos from Ohio National Guard Heritage Center)  

COLUMBUS, OH, UNITED STATES

04.12.2024

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann 

Ohio National Guard Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, announced in March that seven Ohio Army National Guard facilities will be dedicated in honor of former members who valiantly served the nation in the 20th century. The selections were made as part of the Army Memorial Program, which provides a permanent, lasting honor to distinguished personnel who served with valor and distinction.

The seven individuals were selected from nominations received by members of the Ohio National Guard as well as outside organizations. The Armory Memorialization Board, chaired by Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, reviewed the nominations and made a recommendation to the adjutant general for approval. The board comprised members of the joint staff and representatives from the tenant units of the selected facilities.

Dedication ceremonies for each facility will occur over the next couple years, with specific ceremony dates to be determined. For some facilities, the ceremony will be held in conjunction with reopening events tied to significant renovation and upgrades of the building.

The selections announced:

Lebanon, Ohio: Col. Gordon Roberts Armory — Raised in Lebanon and a 1968 graduate of Lebanon High School, Roberts received the Medal of Honor in Vietnam in 1969. Roberts was commissioned in the Ohio National Guard in 1989 as a medical service officer and served with the 112th Medical Brigade until returning to the Regular Army in 1991. He retired from the Army in 2012 as a colonel.

Wooster, Ohio: Capt. Fred C. Redick Armory — Born in 1881 in Wooster, Redick enlisted in the local company of the Ohio National Guard in 1900. In 1911, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served with the Wooster unit in active service along the Mexican Border in 1916 and during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in September 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive and was the only Wayne County Soldier to receive the award in World War I. He served as the postmaster of Wooster from 1932 until his death in 1935.

Lorain, Ohio: Capt. Eugene M. Socha Armory — Raised in Lorain and a 1938 graduate of Lorain High School, Socha joined the Ohio National Guard in 1939 while enrolled at Baldwin Wallace College. His unit was inducted into federal service in 1940 and Socha was commissioned in 1941. In April 1945, Socha was awarded the Silver Star Medal while serving with the 145th Infantry in the Philippines. Socha graduated medical school after the war and established a general medical practice in Amherst for 36 years, remaining in Lorain County until his death in 2008.

Alliance, Ohio: Capt. Fred A. Kochli Armory — Born in 1891 in Alliance, Kochli enlisted in the local company of the Ohio National Guard in 1911. In 1916 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served with the Alliance unit in active service along the Mexican Border in 1916 and during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in September 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive and the attack on Montfaucon, France. He was severely wounded during the war, which resulted in the loss of his right arm. After the war, Kochli was heavily involved in veterans issues. He died Sept. 13, 1967.

Woodlawn, Ohio: Col. Frederick W. Galbraith Training and Community Center — Born in 1874 in Massachusetts, Galbraith came to Cincinnati in 1904 and joined the Ohio National Guard in 1916. Galbraith was commissioned a major in the 1st Infantry Regiment and later took command of the regiment. During World War I, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Belgium War Cross, French Croix de Guerre, and French Legion of Honor while commanding the 147th Infantry. Galbraith was a member of the original American Legion committee that met in France, and he organized the American Legion Department of Ohio, serving as the first state commander. He died in an auto accident in 1921.

Mansfield, Ohio: Lt. Col. Albert L. Allen Jr. Readiness Center — Born in 1920 in Mansfield and a 1938 graduate of Mansfield High School, Allen was drafted into the Army in 1941 and was assigned to Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion, an Ohio National Guard unit in active service at Fort Knox, Ky. As a sergeant, Allen was awarded the Silver Star Medal during the Battle of Bataan in December 1941 and was wounded three times. Allen survived the Bataan Death March and was a prisoner of war from 1942 to 1945. Allen retired from the Army Reserve in 1973 as a lieutenant colonel and was active in numerous civic and veterans groups in Mansfield. He died in 2004.

North Canton, Ohio: Gov. Thomas J. Herbert Army Aviation Support Facility — A native of Cleveland, Herbert was born in 1894. At the outbreak of World War I, Herbert enlisted in the Army and was commissioned in the Air Service in 1918. Flying with the Royal Air Force in France, Herbert was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star Citation, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. He was commissioned a major in the Ohio National Guard in 1927 and was the first commander of the first flying unit in Ohio National Guard history, the 112th Observation Squadron, 37th Division Aviation. Herbert served as the Ohio attorney general from 1939 to 1945 and was elected Ohio’s 56th governor in 1947. His final civic position was as the 116th Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, from 1957 to 1962. Herbert died in 1974.

The Ohio National Guard is seeking contact with the Galbraith family. Family members are encouraged to contact Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann at 614-336-7311 or [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 04.12.2024
• Date Posted: 04.12.2024 14:32
• Story ID: 468441
• Location: COLUMBUS, OH, US