John William Gary was born on 20 June 1900, in Kenton, Ohio. His mother is Catherine Gary, resident of Marion, Ohio.
John W. Gary enlisted on 20 July 1917, and served in Company I, 8th Ohio, Ohio National Guard (ONG) until 2 April 1918. The 8th Ohio, ONG, would become the 146th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division “the Buckeye Division.” He served until 8 April 1918, in Company K, 1st Pioneer Regiment. Then he served in Company B, 1st Antiaircraft Machine Gun Battalion until 20 January 1919. Pvt. Gary would depart Hoboken, New Jersey, aboard the U. S. S. Powhatan, on 30 April 1918. The U. S. S. Powhatan, would sail to France. Pvt. John W. Gary would see action at Aisne-Marne; St Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Defensive Sector.
Pvt. John W. Gary would die while in service on 20 January 1919. He died of pneumonia while in France. Pvt. John W. Gary was temporarily buried in Antwerp, Belgium. On 18 May 1921, his remains would arrive aboard the U. S. A. T. Wheaton (funeral ship), in Hoboken, New Jersey. Pvt. John W. Gary would be laid to rest in Grove Cemetery, Kenton, Ohio. Pvt. John W. Gary is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; and on the World War One Honor Roll, located on the second floor of the Marion County Courthouse.
Sgt. Elwin C. Jones – World War Two Casualty
Elwin Cornelius Jones was born on 16 December 1917, in Marion, Ohio. His parents are Mr. Nelson & Gladys I. Jones. Elwin had three brothers who were also serving in the military; Pvt. Emil Jones, U. S. Army; MMM3C Earl Jones, U. S. Navy; and F2C Kenneth Jones, U. S. Navy. Elwin C. Jones attended Marion City schools and later graduated from Caledonia High School. He was the Valedictorian with the Class of 1936. Prior to entering service Elwin was employed in Broadway, Ohio as the depot clerk and telegraph operator.
Elwin C. Jones would enter service in January of 1941. He took his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. At Ft. Knox, Jones was assigned to a former Ohio National Guard unit from Port Clinton, Ohio. This unit would form into the 192nd Tank Battalion. Elwin Jones was assigned to Company C of the battalion. The company would be stationed in Hawaii for a short time and then move to the Philippine Islands. Jones would attain the rank of Sergeant and move with the Battalion to the Philippines in November of 1941.
Sgt. Elwin C. Jones later became a Prisoner of War (POW) when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese. He took part in the Bataan Death March and was held as a POW at Camp O’Donnell.
His parents would receive telegrams from the War Department during the war notifying them that Elwin was Missing in Action, verified as a POW, and later of his death. It would be three years after his death before they would learn of his death. They were told that he had died in a prisoner of war camp, of dysentery on 9 May 1942.
They would not learn of the details of his death until another member of C Company would visit the family in Caledonia, Ohio.
After the war, another member of C Company visited the Jones family in Caledonia. According to family members, this soldier told them how Elwin really died. He told the family that Elwin and he had been selected to go out on a work detail. Elwin was sick from dysentery that he could hardly stand. An aggravated Japanese guard, believing Elwin was faking his illness so that he would not have to work came up to him and killed him.
From Bataan Project
It would not be until April 1949, that Sgt. Elwin C Jones’ remains were returned home to Marion County, Ohio. He was buried in Caledonia Cemetery in Caledonia, Ohio.
Sgt. Elwin C. Jones is remembered 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.
PFC Rick Alan Wilcox – Vietnam Casualty
Rick Alan Wilcox was born in Marion, Ohio, on 11 April 1950. He was the son of Mr. Robert & Edna (Sours) Wilcox of Marion, Ohio. Rick A. Wilcox was a 1968 graduate of Harding High School. Before entering service Wilcox worked at United Facilities, Inc., in Marion.
On 4 August 1969, Rick A. Wilcox entered service with the United States Army. Wilcox attained the rank of Private First Class (PFC) and was assigned to C Company, 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade of the 23rd Infantry Division, “Americal Division.” While on operations in the Quang Ngai Province South Vietnam, a very large enemy booby trap was detonated. PFC Rick A. Wilcox and 14 others were killed.
“Final Mission of SP4 James W. Lindemann”
From multiple sources and posted on The Wall of Faces:
On April 15, 1970, units of Americal Division were conducting search and clear, reconnaissance in force, and pacification operations in their area of operations in Quang Ngai Province, RVN. On Hill 238, three miles south of Duc Pho, elements of C Company/4-21 and C Company/4-3 were securing a landing zone in order to act as a blocking force to engage North Vietnamese Army troops which were being driven their way by Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces. While they were organizing their position in 110-degree heat, a booby-trapped 105mm shell was detonated causing the sympathetic detonation of two 81mm mortar rounds and other miscellaneous munitions. The mortar rounds were stored in a pit and caused further secondary explosions of 81mm mortar rounds and Claymore mines that the men were carrying in their packs. Eight Americans were killed by the blast and another nineteen were wounded, thirteen of which required medical evacuation. The medivacs carried the injured to Duc Pho, then later transferred them to Chu Lai after triage. Seven of the patients removed from the hill later expired, bringing the total killed to fifteen. The lost Americans included from C/4-21: SSG Allen M. Garrett, PFC Dennis E. Jackowski, SP4 James W. Lindemann, SGT Robert J. Mussin, SP4 Gene S. Swager, PFC Rick A. Wilcox, and SP4 Perry L. Woolsey; from Headquarters Company/4-3: PFC Michael C. Gomes; and from C/4-3: PFC Michael W. Haynes, SGT Ronald E. Hodge, SP4 Charles L. Merrill Jr., PFC Jose L. Rivas, and PFC Clarence W. Templeton; from Headquarters Company/4-3: PFC Randall R. Simmons; and from Brigade Headquarters Company, 11th Brigade: 1LT Sandro Barone. Haynes, Rivas, Templeton, and Simmons were posthumously promoted to Corporal.
Unknowingly at the time, another Marion veteran, William Schurch, evacuated Wilcox and others from this incident. He would later find out that he had evacuated fellow Marion men, Rick Wilcox (K. I. A.) and Harry Titus (wounded), from the battle. Wilcox and Titus were classmates at Harding High School and had spent much time together since being drafted. They even rode home together for Christmas break prior to leaving for Vietnam.
PFC Rick A. Wilcox was killed in action on 15 April 1970, and is buried at the Marion Cemetery, Marion, Ohio.
PFC Rick A. Wilcox is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the Marion County Admin building, at 222 West Center St. in Marion, Ohio; and on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Washington, D. C. on Panel W11, Line 11.
Harry S. Lute – World War One Casualty
Harry S. Lute was born on 15 March 1889 in Ostrander, Delaware County, Ohio. Lute was former Marion county resident, who had lived just north of Prospect. His parents were Harry & Mrs. Abbie Jane Lute.
Harry S. Lute left Marion County and enlisted in Ohio National Guard on Decoration Day 1917, answering the call to arms for the defense of his country.
Private (Pvt.) Harry S. Lute would leave Hoboken, New Jersey, aboard the S. S. Agamemno. The S. S. Agamemno was formerly the S. S. Kaiser Wilhelm II, which was confiscated as enemy property. Pvt. Harry S. Lute was serving in France with I company, 166th Infantry of the 42nd (Rainbow) Division. Pvt. Lute had written his mother on Thanksgiving Day 1917, stating he was in good health. Mrs. Lute received this letter four days prior to receiving word from the War Department, that her son had died. Pvt. Lute had died of pneumonia on 23 December 1917, in France. Pvt. Lute was at the time reported as the first death in the 166th Infantry.
Pvt. Harry S. Lute was interred in France after is death. On 1 May 1921, his remains would depart Cherbourg, France, aboard the U. S. A. T. Wheaton. The U. S. A. T. Wheaton was a United States Army Transport Funeral Ship. His remains would arrive in Hoboken, New Jersey, and he would be reinterred at Union Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio.
Pvt. Harry S. Lute’s name does not appear on any of Marion’s honor rolls, most likely due to his enlisting in Franklin County. Yet, we will honor him here as a former resident of the county who gave his life while serving his country.
HARRY LUTE DIES OF
From The Marion Daily Star dated 12-28-1917
PNEUMONIA IN FRANCE
Formerly Lived on Farm Just
North of Prospect
LUTE IS TWENTY-NINE
YEARS OLD AND SINGLE
Mother, Now Living in Columbus,
Gets Letter from Her Boy
Last Monday.
News of the first death in the 166th United States infantry regiment, formerly the Fourth Ohio, since it has arrived in France with the Rainbow division, strikes home to Marion county residents.
Announcement has been made by the war department that Private Harry Lute,, aged twenty-nine, a member of I company, died Sunday, December 23. His death was caused by pneumonia.
Private Lute enlisted in Columbus on Decoration day, before which time he lived on a farm just north of Prospect. His mother, Mrs. Abba Lute, now lives in Columbus at present with her daughter, Mrs. John W. Carlisle.
As recently as Monday of this week, Mrs. Lute received a letter from her son. It was written on Thanksgiving day, and said that he was in good health. He added that he enjoyed a fine Thanksgiving dinner. Lute was unmarried.
LCpl. Robert E. Neal – Vietnam Casualty
Robert Eugene Neal, born 4 April 1950, was the son of Dale R. & Helen M. (Willis) Neal of Caledonia, Ohio. Lance Corporal (LCpl.) Robert E. Neal started his tour in Vietnam on 7 August 1969. He would serve as a rifleman with the United States Marine Corps in 2nd Platoon, Company 2 of the 4th Combine Action Group, III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF.)
While on duty in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, LCpl. Robert E. Neal was fatally wounded by shrapnel from a booby-trapped grenade, 5 kilometers North of Hai Lang. LCpl. Neal wound die on 16 February 1970. He is buried in the Little Sandusky Cemetery, in Little Sandusky, Ohio.
LCpl. Robert E. Neal is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio;
on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, at the Marion County Admin, building at 222 West Center St. in Marion, Ohio; and on Panel 13W, Line 019, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Washington, D. C.
Honoring Marion Ohio Veterans 