Robert Leroy Briggs was born 23 August 1931. His parents were William M. Briggs & Geraldine (Strose) Briggs. Robert had a brother, William A. Briggs (1929-2012), who was also a Korean War Veteran.
Private First Class (Pfc.) Robert L. Briggs was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division “First Team.” While fighting the enemy in South Korea on 21 August 1950, Pfc. Robert L. Briggs was listed as Missing in Action (MIA). He was later presumed dead on 31 December 1953.
Among Pfc. Briggs’ awards were the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
As of this writing (1-26-2020) Pfc. Robert Leroy Briggs’ body remains unaccounted for.
Pfc. Robert L. Briggs’ name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial and National Korean War Veterans Memorial Washington, D. C.
Robert L. Briggs is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park in Marion, Ohio; and on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse.
From The Marion Star dated 7-8-1950
Brothers, Both In Army, Meet in Japan
Brothers in service- who are former Marion residents met last week at Tokyo. Japan, after a separation of a year and a half. They are Pvt. William A. Briggs, 22, and Pvt. Robert L. Briggs, 18, brothers of Mrs. Robert J. Johnson of 138 St. Clair street. Their parents are Mr. and Mrs. William Briggs who are now living in Columbus. The older brother entered service in the fall of 1948, and the younger followed last fall. Each received his basic training at Ft Knox, Ky., then sailed for Japan from California. Both are in infantry units. The word concerning their meeting in Tokyo came to Mrs. Johnson in a letter this week. It said that they expect to be in Korea within four weeks and asked the family not to worry if letters did not come regularly.
Martin Dean Childress was born in Pruden, Tennessee on 7 February 1944. He was one of eight children of John Henry & Shirley Jane (Gibson) Childress. Martin D. Childress came to Marion, Ohio, with his family when he was 10 years old. Martin then spent the rest of his childhood growing up in Marion. Childress was a 1962 graduate of Harding High School. After high school Martin D. Childress was employed at Marion Power Shovel Co. and HPM in Mount Gilead, Ohio.
Specialist Four (Sp4) Martin D. Childress arrived in Vietnam on 12 April 1969, and served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division. Sp4 Martin D. Childress was killed on 12 August 1969, during an enemy attack on Quan Loi Base Camp (LZ Andy), about 7 kilometers East-Northeast of An Lok City, Binh Long Province, South Vietnam.
Sp4 Childress left behind his wife, Mary Alice Wicker, and a son, Troy Childress.
Honoring Marion Ohio Veterans 