Saturday, November 9, 2013

Honor Roll Project ~ The U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Cincinnati, Ohio

As part of Heather Wilkinson Rojo's Honor Roll Project, I am, this year, again representing Ohio.  Each Veteran's Day, we try to find Honor Roll monuments and plaques around the country, some prominent and famous, others unknown or obscure. We transcribe the names in a blog post, thereby making the names searchable by most internet search engines.

In so doing, we provide a hint for genealogists and famiy historians searching for ancestors on the internet, and give them a glimpse into the military heritage of their family.

Stop by Heather's blog, Nutfield Genealogy, on Veteran's Day, November 11th, to see all the participants' posts so far, or visit our Military Honor Rolls board on Pinterest.



The U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, located in Lytle Park, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was built and dedicated on July 4, 1921.  It consists of a 500-pound bronze reproduction of the traditional Marine emblem, the globe, anchor, and eagle, sculpted by Sarah Ayers Kruthap, resting on a rough block of Beverly (Mass.) granite.



The inscription on the memorial states that the memorial was given to the City of Cincinnati by Dr. Benjamin Ricketts, in memory of all the Hamilton County marines who died in action during the World War, including his own son. It lists the names of 35 marines who died during World War I.



"In honor of the United States Marine Corps & the Marines of Hamilton County who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War"

The portrait depicts 
Corporal Merrill Laws Ricketts
XVIII Co., V. Reg., U. S. Marines

"FILIO PATER"


Defensive Sector * Aisne-Marne * St Michiel * Meuse-Argonne



In left and right columns, here are the names:

Walter S. Austin
Otmer O. Anderson
Walter H. Berger
Russell P. Blackham
Charles H. Boettcher
George W. Budde
Lovette L. Channell
James W. Costigan
Edward T. Danford
Robert B. Decatur
Henry E. Denham
James F. Duncan
James W. Easter
Ford E. Erdmann
Raymond Erhardt
Albert C. Gahr
Guy Gaynor
Edward C. Gehlert
Harry J. Gorth
Lyle C. Houchins
Elmer H. Hughes
Wilber H. Jeffries
Robert D. Johnson
Lyle B. Jones
Edward A. Koehne
Julius J. Latscha
William F. Lindsey
Raymond D. Lindsey
Leo P. Linneman
Albert R. Marshall
Joseph E. Miemann
Nicholas W. Miller
Charles A. Naegelen
James A. O'Brien
Neal O'Leary
Philip E. Patton
Earl L. Parrott
James F. Reynolds
John Roos
Henry Schmidt
Max E. Seal
Albert Silverston
Russell A. Stephens
Ulysess W. Upton
Albert C. Veid
Willard J. Wagner
Robert A. Waters
Henry Watson
William F. Welch
Leo Weschke
Charles M. Wintering
Eli Wittstein

The memorial also included a Marine drinking water fountain on the back side, when in its original park location, but after the memorial was relocated, it no longer works.



This memorial is now located on the southern tip of Lytle Park, overlooking the I-71 Expressway and Anna Louise Inn.  It is #8 on the map.




Additional info:

Dr. Benjamin Merrill Ricketts was a world-renowned surgeon, who founded Ricketts Hospital in Cincinnati. His son, Merrill Laws Ricketts, born in Cincinnati September 24, 1893, was killed in France on October 4, 1918, six weeks before the end of the war, 25 years old.

Merrill Laws Ricketts' military service records show his name as Langdon Laws Ricketts (His name was changed by his mother after his parents' divorce.). He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, but has a cenotaph in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.*




Find A Grave. Find A Grave Memorial # 26205779.  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=RICK&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=37&GScntry=4&GSsr=1761&GRid=26205779& Grave of Corp Langdon Laws Ricketts (1893-1918).

1 comment:

  1. What a great idea. Well Done.

    You have given me a project to be done before ANZAC Day (April 25). I have a photo of a memorial plaque in a country school and will research each of those on the plaque before ANZAC Day.

    Thank you for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete