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).