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This recognition has put the stories of Marion’s Veterans in front of millions more readers and will further bring Honor to our Hometown Heroes.
Keep checking back to this blog as it is updated with stories weekly. In the near future more usable content will be added that will inform you about our veterans and bring recognition and pride to Marion’s Veterans.
Milton Birnbaum was born 10 June 1915, in New York City. His parents are Max & Helena A. (Israel) Birnbaum of Marion, Ohio. Milton’s family is Jewish and he had two brothers who were also serving during World War Two, 2nd Lt. Isadore Birnbaum and Staff Sergeant Sam Birnbaum. Milton graduated from Harding High School in 1933. He attended Ohio State University, for 2 years and was employed with the State Highway Department, from 1939 until he entered service.
Milton Birnbaum entered service on 9 January 1942, at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was overseas for 10 months, serving with the 19th Engineer Combat Regiment. Milton attained the rank of Technician Fifth Grade (Tech5). While in Italy he would report the capture of Sergeant (Sgt.) Dale Greenland of Marion, by the Germans near the Anzio Beachhead. Sgt. Dale Greenland would later make his escape from the Germans and return not only to the Allied lines, but survive the war and return to Marion.
Tech5 Milton Birnbaum was killed in action on 11 October 1944, while serving in Italy. Birnbaum is buried in the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy.
Milton Birnbaum is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and on the World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.
Marion, Ohio, was attacked by fighter jets and bombers in 1950, as part of the first large-scale emergency Civil Defense exercise of it’s kind in Ohio. It was also one of the first in the nation. The event was sponsored by the National American Legion. The Ohio Civil Defense, Air National Guard, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Marion Counties many Civil Defense groups, local fire and police departments, and even motorcycle clubs as well as other local groups participated.
Fifteen-hundred members of Marion’s Civil Defense Units will be the actors in the mock disaster. The exact scenario would be unknown until a real alert was to signal the beginning of the drill. A locomotive sounding its air horn while moving back and forth on Marion’s rail lines was the air raid siren and the signal to begin the drill. The drill began around noon with an alert that enemy planes were approaching. Later the Air National Guard out of Lockbourne Air Base near Columbus, Ohio, flew over Marion. Marion was then attacked by 12 F-84 Thunder-jets in squadrons of four, two C-47s and two B-26 light bombers. This was the first time many Marion residents saw a jet in flight as the aircraft made several passes over the city. They bombed Marion with firecracker bombs.
The scenario called for Marion’s west-side industrial section to be destroyed and set aflame. The west-side fires then spread through embers to other parts of the city. Mock fires were set at the courthouse with smoke bombs and a tire and oil fire at Crystal Lake. Marion’s water an utilities were deemed unusable and the hospital had to deal with hundreds of burned and injured patients. Traffic was routed around the city and the refugees from the west side were relocated to Camp Owens.
The drill was considered a success as weaknesses were discovered and strengths were lauded, such as the efficient use of Marion’s motorcycle clubs in delivery of communications.
The first time Marion, Ohio was bombed, was in 1931. Read this article at Marion Bombed, 1931.
Dr. Arthur R. Ebert 12/12/1933-1/14/1997 Arthur Ebert was born December 12 ,1933, in Marion Ohio, to Homer and Ida (Heimlich) Ebert. On June 23,1957, he married Carol L. (Longanbach), in Columbus Ohio. Arthur graduated from The Ohio State University School Veterinary Medicine, in early June of 1957. After the marriage to Carol, they lived in Glasgow Kentucky, where Dr. Ebert practiced Veterinary Medicine, at the Glasgow Veterinary Clinic. In 1959, Dr. Ebert moved to Waldo, to work at the Waldo Animal Clinic. Dr. Ebert was a person who wanted to help people. It ranged from 4-H to helping at the county fair with kids’ animals that they were showing and with his Church. He also had a passion in helping people through the fire service. He volunteered at Fort Morrow Fire Department since 1959, until his death.
On January 1, 1997, at 6:30 Pm, Fort Morrow Fire Department responded to a fire at 7262 Brundage Rd Waldo, Ohio. The fire started in an attached garage and then spread to the house. Upon the arrival of the fire department, the garage was fully involved. As members began to attack the fire, Dr. Ebert, who was staffing the pump, collapsed in cardiac arrest. He was rendered aid by other members of the fire department and transported to Marion General Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. This was the second fire the department was on that evening. Dr. Ebert was survived by his wife Carol, a son John Ebert, three daughters, Kate Brown, Sarah Hancock and Ruth Ebert, a brother Edward Ebert and nine grandchildren. He was laid to rest in Waldo Cemetery, Waldo Ohio. Article researched and contributed by Marion County Firefighter Memorial
Two Marion, Ohio men served during World War Two in the same Air Corps. unit, 48th Squadron, 313th Troop Carrier Group. Lt. Walter L. Ruzzo entered service in May of 1942. He was trained to become a co-pilot and navigator. Lt. Gerald E. Hamilton would enlist in the Army as a private in October of 1941. He would later transfer to the Army Air Corps. on 2 January 1942. Lt. Hamilton was trained to be a pilot. Both men would see their last state side duty station at Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is not known whether these men knew of each other’s connection to Marion, Ohio, but it must be assumed they did as they would have worked closely together. Both men flew in C-47 Dakota troop carrier planes. They would fly airborne troops to there Designated Zones (DZ) and also fly wounded troops and supplies. Lt. Hamilton was a veteran of Operation Market Garden. It is not verified, but Lt. Ruzzo would likely have been on the same operation in September of 1944.
C-46 Commandos preparing for Operation Varsity. Ruzzo’s aircraft is in the middle with the letter “M” on the tail. Hamilton’s aircraft is in front of Ruzzo’s (only the tail visible) with the letter “T” on the tail.
On Operation Varsity both men flew in the same formation, Serial A6, Second Flight, 48th TCS. Both men would be assigned to the larger C-46 Commando troop carriers on 24 March 1945. The C-46 Commandos could carry thirty-six airborne troopers as opposed to the eighteen carried by the C-47 Dakotas. Also, the C-46 had doors on each side, allowing for troopers to exit faster. Operation Varsity was the last major airborne operation of World War Two. In fact, it was the largest single airborne operation to take place in a single day.
The first planes carrying the 17th Airborne took off shortly after 0700, with the last getting aloft just before 0900. The airborne lift included a total of 9,387 paratroopers and glider-borne soldiers, carried aboard 72 C-46s, 836 C-47s, and 906 CG-4A gliders. This, combined with the British airborne armada of nearly 800 aircraft and 420 gliders, carrying over 8,000 soldiers, stretched nearly 200 miles and took thirty-seven minutes to pass a given point. The two formations rendezvoused in the skies near Brussels, Belgium, before proceeding to the drop zones 100 miles away. In addition, nearly 1,000 Allied fighters escorted the transports. For those watching below, including GEN Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, it was an impressive display of Allied might. MG James M. Gavin, commander of the 82d Airborne Division, who had never witnessed a major airborne operation from the ground, called it “an awesome spectacle.”
From ArmyHistory.org Operation VARSITY: The Last Airborne Deployment of World War II By Matthew J. Seelinger
Both men were able to deliver their cargo of troopers from the 17th Airborne Division (Golden Talons) to their Designated Area (DZ). But both planes were hit by flak and would crash. It was on this mission that a fatal weakness of the C-46 Commando was revealed. The planes did not have self sealing fuel tanks and were set on fire from the punctured fuel tanks and German incendiary rounds fired that day.
Almost immediately, the C-46’s fatal flaw became apparent. The planes lacked self-sealing fuel tanks; if a fuel tank was punctured, high octane aviation gas would stream along the wings towards the fuselage. All it took was a single spark to turn each plane into a flying inferno. German 20mm incendiary rounds proved extremely lethal and set several damaged aircraft ablaze. Ridgway later reported that the heaviest losses during Varsity came during the first thirty minutes of the 513th’s drop. Nineteen of the seventy-two C-46s were lost, with fourteen going down in flames, some with paratroopers on board. Another thirty-eight were severely damaged. Many soldiers wounded during the flight to the drop zones chose to jump and take their chances rather than remain in the dangerously flawed aircraft. After Varsity, Ridgway issued orders prohibiting the use of C-46s in future airborne operations.
From ArmyHistory.org Operation VARSITY: The Last Airborne Deployment of World War II By Matthew J. Seelinger
Both aircraft were witnessed in separate reports as being hit by flak and going down after turning back towards the Rhine. Both Lt. Gerald E. Hamilton and Lt. Walter L. Ruzzo were killed in action during Operation Varsity. They are also both buried in Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands. Also, Read about the Rescue and Return of Lt. Walter L. Ruzzo’s Funeral Flag.
Honoring Marion Ohio Veterans 