The LaRue Eight

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From The Marion Star dated July, 14, 1950

Larue8

Three Marine Corps Reserve pilots and five enlisted men from the Larue area will participate next month on one of the largest peace-time movements across the United States ever made by a single air unit.

They are members of VMF 244, an air squadron which will leave Columbus Aug. 5 for El Toro Marine Air Corps base near Los Angeles. They will return to Columbus Aug. 19.

The LaRue men are making a real contribution toward keeping the squadron’s standards up to Marine Corps requirements, according to Lt. Col. Haines, commander. The squadron is based at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Columbus.

Fighter pilots who will take part from LaRue are: First Lt. John M. Benson, First Lt. Keith Fields, and First Lt. Cloyd Waters. These men will pilot Hellcat fighters from the Naval Air Station in Columbus to the California base. They are veterans of fighting in World War II.

Enlisted Men

Five LaRue enlisted men who are not veterans of the last war will also take part in the mass movement.

They are: Pvt. Frank E. Benson, Pvt. Ronald B. Ballinger, Pvt. Grover Wall, and Pvt. Richard Fields, and Pvt. Richard Fields. (Two Pvt. Richard Fields were listed in the Marion Star article) They all are graduated from LaRue High School this year and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. All are employed on farms near LaRue except Ronald Ballinger. He assists his father in the operation of a filling station in LaRue.

VMF 244 will be in the over-all lifts of a total of 41 Marine Air Reserve Squadrons, based at 25 Naval Air Station throughout the nation. The squadrons will move on a war-time basis. Fighter planes under the command of Major Herbert Langenfield, of Pittsburgh, Pa., will fly across the country in battle formation.

The air lifts will involve a total of 561 fighter and transport planes and approximately 6,000 officers and men and their equipment. The results are expected to provide a model pattern for coast-to-coast mobilization of all the nation’s air reserves, according to Brigadier of William O. Brice, Commander, Marine Air Reserve Training, who is directing the unit. (sic)

Varied Experience

The three pilots have had varied experience during the last war. First Lt. Benson, who now works at the Marion Production Credit Association, was a fighter pilot in the Philippines and China. He joined the Marine Corps in November 1943 and left in June 1946. He participated in Marine Air Reserve maneuvers at Cherry Point, North Carolina in 1947, 1948, and 1949.

First Lt. Keith Fields is finishing his last quarter at Ohio State University. He was stationed in the Philippines during the last war and met Lt. Benson on missions. Unlike Lt. Benson, Lt. Fields is married and has a small daughter.

First Lt. Cloyd Waters is now working with the Wyandot County soil conservation service at Upper Sandusky. He joined the Navy first in 1942 and later transferred to the Marine Corps. He fought in the battle of Okinawa and later was stationed in Japan. He was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1945. He and his wife, Katheryn, have two girls.

July Fourth Celebration 1919

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One Hundred years ago Marion, Ohio, celebrated the Victory of the Great War on the Fourth of July. Most all of the soldiers and sailors had returned by then. Marion’s veterans also came together to organize, sign the charter, and elect the first officers to the Marion County Association of World War Veterans.

From the Marion Daily Star July 5, 1919

THOUSANDS AT VICTORY
CELEBRATION IN MARION

Estimated Over 20,000 Visit the
Fairgrounds.

BIG FIGHT RETURNS ARE
READ BY J. AUSTIN REED

Winners of Various Events – Fire-
works at Night – A Won-
derful Day.

Marion’s “Victory Fourth” and homecoming celebration for the soldiers, sailors, and marines of Marion county, which was held at the fairgrounds Friday, attracted the largest crowd of people that has ever assembled on the grounds on a single day. While it was given by the people in general, much of the credit is due to the members of the various committees who devoted much time to the success of the entertainment.
While the temperature was the kind to keep fans and handkerchiefs in almost constant use in some places, those who sought shade of the grandstand or under trees received the benefit of a stirring air which made them comfortable. Many enjoyed picnic dinners at the grounds and long before the time scheduled for the opening of the afternoon program the large grandstand was filled and the grounds were crowded with spectators and automobiles.

Over 20,000 There.
Estimates of some more conservative placed the crowd during the afternoon at over 12,000, while the crowd in the evening was much larger. Many took their lunches for the evening, while those who journeyed home or down street for the evening meal returned to witness the program in the evening.
In all, it is figured that more than 20,000 people visited the grounds during the day. The refreshment stands did a big business until the close of the entertainment. During the afternoon and evening Dowler’s band rendering a pleasing program and there was not a dull moment for the visitors.
Mayor A.J. Sautter and J.A. Williams, secretary of the chamber of commerce, looked to securing the contestants for the various events, while J. Austin Reed presided in the stand as starter and announcer during the afternoon and evening. During the afternoon he read the returns of the Willard-Dempsey fight, at Toledo.

First Race on Program.
The first race on the program was a motorcycle race with three entries, Carl Ferguson, on an Indian, was required to go eleven miles to ten miles for his opponents. John Woodcock, on a Harley-Davidson, and Floyd Stiffler, on an Excelsior. Ferguson won in fourteen minutes and seven seconds for eleven miles, while Woodcock made nine and one-half miles, and Stiffler seven and one-half miles.
In the ten-mile automobile race, three machines were entered, LeRoy Cramer, with a Dodge, won the race in fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds, taking it easy toward the last. E. McEldowney, with a Studebaker, made fifteen laps, while Cramer made twenty. White & Irey, with a Buick, had a blow-out after the first lap and had to retire.
The motorcycle bi-car race was an exciting event between Fred Maag, on a Harley-Davidson, and Glenn Dane, on and Indian, these two racing side by side for most of the five miles and Maag winning by about 100 feet. Tony Kennell, on and Indian, was third, and Rolla Johnson, on an Indian was fourth. Maag’s time was eight minutes.

Boy’s Bicycle Race.
The boy’s bicycle race furnished quite a little amusement, there being seven entries. Harper was an easy winner in three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Weston was second, Foos was third and Gerow was fourth.
With the race program concluded the canvas was stretched on the track for the boxing bouts which followed. The first bout between McGuire and Nichols was scheduled for six rounds, but just before the gong in the third round the referee stopped the bout, because Nichols was bleeding badly from a cut lip.
The bout between Young Reynolds and Jack Conway was a fast ten-round mill which furnished a lot of entertainment and was undoubtedly a better go than the championship battle in Toledo. Referee Feidner declared the match a draw, both boxers fresh and fast in the final round.
The lunch hour in the evening was followed by a vaudeville act donated by the New Orpheum management. This was followed by an exhibition by Fire departments Nos. 1 and 2. Headed by the car of Chief TJ. McFarland, the engines and aerial ladder of the departments made a run around the track and connected four lines of hose to each engine in the short space of one minute and forty-two seconds.
Following this exhibition the firemen gave a demonstration with the pulmotor and administering aid with the “first aid” kit. Then came a demonstration of the operation of various nozzles, the raising of ladders and the operation of the aerial ladder which was shot in the air to a height of over sixty feet after which the firemen followed each other to the top. The firemen then lined up in front of the wagon and expressed their thanks for the attention of the crowd and received a good applause.

A Beautiful Sight.
The grounds in the evening presented a beautiful sight, the main mammoth crowd filling the grandstand and enclosure of the race track and other parts of the grounds.
Sparklers thrown in trees, hurled through the air in the hands of old and young, together with red fire, kept the grounds and sky in one continuous flare.
As soon as it was sufficiently dark, the most gorgeous pyrotechnical display ever witnessed in the city was enjoyed. This was in charge of experts and all kinds of displays were witnessed in the air, while various designs of a beautiful nature were displayed on the large racks erected for the purpose.
This display lasted until 10:30 o’clock and held most of the crowd to the finish.

July41919

Jack H. Davis – Retired Marion Fire Chief, U. S. Navy Veteran

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Jack H. Davis grew up in LaRue, Ohio, and was a graduate of the LaRue High School class of 1946. Jack says that his class was made up of 14 boys and 14 girls. 14 class members still live and are all in their 90s. Jack said he has made most of his class reunions, even returning when he was living in Arizona.

IMG_4053Jack, or Herb to some of his friends know him, was a member of the LaRue Volunteer Fire Department when he was as young as ten years old. He remembers as a boy he was in the Boy Scouts and would attend camp at Camp Owens, which was located south of Marion. He said that they had real rifles from WWI and would drill with them.

Jack H. Davis enlisted in the United States Navy in 1946 with friends he knew from Marion Catholic High School; Pat Gilmore, Bill Swearingen, Bob Rizor, and Harold Kisling. He attended basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station. He was with class 191. He then went to Hospital Corpsman training at Bainbridge, Maryland. After training he was assigned to the Navy Hospital in Samson, New York. When that post was closed he was assigned to the North Island Naval Hospital in San Diego, California.

While at Terminal Island Naval Hospital Davis played football. He played teams from Delmare Marines, and Camp Pendelton. He remembers playing against graduates from Annapolis who played Navy Football; Don Whitmire, a two-time All-American Buick Coppedge, Jim Perry who would later play for the 49ers and Bob Alexander from Columbia.

At North Island some of his duties included going with the fire department to standby during the carrier landing practices. He also would pull duty on the squad for emergency calls. The duty required a doctor and a hospital corpsman to standby for emergency calls.

IMG_4056While Davis was assigned to Terminal Island, San Pedro, Californian. Davis was assigned to work as a corpsman at the dispensary. Here he said he was lucky to spend his down time playing football and basketball. He proudly displays the team photo in his home. Davis remembers his father writing to him daily when he was away in the Navy.

While in the Navy Davis attained the rank of Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class. He was honorably discharged in 1948. He then joined the Army Reserves when he returned to Ohio. In the Army Reserves he worked as a Company Clerk from 1949 to 1957. Here he attained the rank of Sergeant. He said he served in the unit in Kenton, Ohio with Bob Lingo, son of Walter Lingo. Walter Lingo later was commissioned a Lt. and became the Company Commander.

IMG_4054Davis would continue to play football. For a time he played for the Angel Football team in 1948. The team was coached by Marty Lewis. While with the Marion Angels he remembers playing with Max Roseberry, later to become a Marion Police officer. They traveled as far as Cincinnati and many of the small communities around Marion. From 1949-1951 Davis played football at Ohio Northern University while he attended college. He said in those days you played most all positions, and all played both offense and defense.

Jack Davis, Jennings, Paulus, 1961
L-R Davis, Jennings and Paulus

In May of 1957 Davis got a job on the Marion Fire Department. At that time Chief Owen A. Sifritt would not allow members to be in the reserves of the military. It was at this time that Davis received his Honorable discharge from the United States Army. While at the Marion Fire Department, Jack Davis would move through the ranks. In March of 1972 he earned the promotion to Assistant Chief. From 1979 to 1981, he would have the honor of serving as Fire Chief of the Marion Fire Department. Those who served under him at the fire department talked of his toughness as a firefighter and strict fairness as an officer. They remember him going into smoky fires and having to be helped to the outside after the effects of the toxic smoke.

IMG_4055While at the fire department he was well known in the community as he also worked at Krogers as a produce man. He retired and moved to Arizona where he wished to work until he turned 80. He was months short of this goal when, as a salesman, he was forced to retire after he was diagnosed with cancer. He was blessed to beat cancer and other frustrating ailments and then returned home to Marion, Ohio.

DCIM100SPORT
Ret. Chief Davis visiting Chief Zwolle at the Marion Fire Dept. in 2013

He looks forward to attending his class reunion each year and has breakfasts with other retirees from the Marion Fire Department. He is remembered by fellow firefighters as a real smoke-eater. He is said to be of the toughest firemen they have known and a respected Chief of the department.

IMG_4058He was very proud to show me the World War Two Victory Medal that he was honored to receive while he was in the Navy. He also proudly showed me the photos of his Terminal Island football team, Ohio Northern football team, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 379 Retirement plaque, a photo of his father and other family photos when I visited him.

Sadly Jack H. Davis passed away in December of 2019.

Staff Sergeant Roger L. Coffman Vietnam Casualty

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Staff Sergeant Roger L. Coffman’s name is on the Vietnam Honor Roll,, at the Marion Veterans Memorial Park, but may not be listed in the Vietnam War Memorial’s records as a “Marion, Ohio, resident.” He had listed his residence in Franklin County when he enlisted. But he is both a former Marion resident and a graduate of Pleasant High School.

Roger Leroy Coffman was born 3 March 1945 to James and Isabel Mitton Coffman. His parents were both deceased at the time of Roger Coffman’s death. At the time of Coffman’s death he had a brother surviving; Marvin L. Coffman, serving in the Navy; another brother; Lawrence W. Coffman, residing in Marion; sisters; Mrs. Mary Pryor of Marion; Mrs. Wilma Moore; Mrs. Evelyn Caudill; and Mrs. Virginia Long of Columbus.

Roger L. Coffman attended Pleasant High School and was a graduate with the class of 1963. After graduation he had been an employee of the Community Memorial Hospital.

coffman
L- R John Chappey and Roger Coffman

Coffman then entered service with the United States Army in September 1968. Prior to going to Vietnam, Coffman served as a training NCO for Advanced Infantry Training at Ford Ord, California. Sgt. Coffman was serving with 25th Infantry Division, 5th Infantry in the 1st Battalion, B Company. On 11 March 1970, Sgt. Roger L. Coffman was killed in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam, with three other soldiers in an explosion. The three others killed were Cpl. John M Chappey of Hammond, IN; Cpl Rodney G. Helsel of St. Joseph, MO; and Cpl. Olaf T. Olsen of Melrose Park, IL.

Coffman02Sgt. Roger L. Coffman was posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant and was decorated with the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. He had also earned to Combat Infantry Badge.

SSG. Roger Leroy Coffman was laid to rest on 20 March 1970, in Marion, Ohio, at the Chapel Heights Memory Gardens, with the Reverend John P. Lewis officiating. He is buried at Block U, Section 187,Grave #1.

Sgt. Roger L. Coffman is remembered on the Honor Roll at Marion Veterans Memorial Park and honored on the Vietnam Memorial Wall on Panel W13, Line 111. His name is missing from the west side of the Marion County Courthouse.

CoffmanBrick
Schofield Memorial Monument Brick

Cpl. Richard E. Turner Vietnam Casualty

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Corporal Richard E. Turner’s name is on the Vietnam Honor Roll, at the Marion Veterans Memorial Park, but may not be listed in the Vietnam War Memorial’s records as a “Marion, Ohio, resident”. He had listed his residence in Franklin County when he enlisted. But he is both a former Marion resident and a graduate of Harding High School.

Turner was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 27 November 1945 to Herbert A. and E. Lucille Mahaffey Turner. In Marion, he lived at 1009 E. Center Street with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Collins. While in high school Turner had worked for the Big Bear supermarket in Marion.

Turner graduated from Harding High School in 1963, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He was known to classmates and friends as “Augie Doggie” or just “Augie”

Richard-Eugene-Turner-1963-Harding-High-School-Marion-OHA classmate remembers Turner as a practical joker, stating, “I sat next to Dick in Mrs Reeser’s biology class. He (and other guys in the class of ’63) would cup their hand, & then smack it into the side of their leg to make a loud popping sound. Mrs R would whirl around and ask, “Who did that!?” It was so hard to keep a straight face! I’m laughing right now just remembering it. Dick was a fun guy.”

Richard Eugene Turner joined the United States Marine Corps. during his junior year while at the Ohio State University. He enlisted on 2 November 1966, while living in Columbus, Ohio.

1967, SD Plt 3349, Turner, Richard Eugene_dob 11-27-1945 - 10-30-1968
This is his boot camp photo from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Platoon 3349. He earned the title “U.S. Marine” on January 6, 1967.

Cpl. Turner arrived in Vietnam on 1 January 1968 at Dong Ha. In July he was assigned as the Colonel’s Aide. Cpl. Richard E. Turner was a construction surveyor assigned to Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Service Battalion, Force Logistics Support Group Bravo, Force Logistic Command, III MAF. He was killed in action in the Quang Tri province. Cpl. Turner was killed along with Master Gunnery Sergeant John V. Berg and Sergeant Major Harlan L. Graham, who served with Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. On 30 October 1968, the three Marines were at Dong Ha Combat Base in Quang Tri Province, Republic of VietNam, when the area came under an enemy 130mm artillery attack. While taking shelter in a trench, all three suffered fatal fragmentation wounds when an enemy shell landed nearby.

Corporal Richard E. Turner was buried in the Marion Cemetery with Military Honors on 12 November 1968, with Reverend Herschel T. Roper officiating.

Corporal Richard E. Turner’s name can be found on the Honor Roll, at Marion Veterans Memorial Park, on the west side of the Marion County Courthouse, and on the Vietnam Memorial Wall at Panel 40W Line 60.