King, House Pass Legislation Honoring District Heroes

COLUMBUS – State Representative Angie King (R-Celina) supported legislation Wednesday that will honor and memorialize service members that paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving the nation.

King’s legislation will honor five service members from Auglaize and Darke counties with memorial road namings.

“These local heroes gave their lives in the service of our nation,” King said. “These memorial road namings are small token of dedication to the sacrifice they made so we may all live free.”

The Army Staff Sgt. Charles V. Kettler Memorial Highway will be established between mile-marker 24 to mile-marker 29 on U.S. 33 in Auglaize County.

Staff Sgt. Kettler was a member of the Ohio National Guard deployed to the South Pacific during World War II where he earned the Silver Star for destroying a Japanese machine gun position with grenades. He later died from his wounds received during the action. 

The Army Sgt. Herbert C. Linville Memorial Highway will be established along State Route 29 between mile-marker 20 and mile-marker 25 in Auglaize County.

Sgt. Linville served during World War II in the 37th Infantry Division – known as the “Buckeye Division.” Sgt. Linville received the Silver Star for leading a patrol in New Georgia, Solomon Islands to search for Japanese forces. Sgt. Lineville attempted to take out a machine gun position by himself where he was ultimately killed. He died July 11, 1943.

The Army Sgt. Ronnie Blair Memorial Highway will be established between mile-marker 29 and mile-marker 32 of State Route 66 in Auglaize County.

Sgt. Blair was a squad leader in the 2^nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 25^th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. Sgt. Blair was killed in action on October 10, 1968 in the Hau Nghia Province, Vietnam after his unit came under small-arms fire by Vietnamese Communists forces. Sgt. Blair successfully saved two of his fellow soldiers that were injured during the initial ambush prior to his own death.

The Lance Cpl. Gerald Subler Memorial Highway will be established in the north and southbound lanes of State Route 185 between Burns Road and Progress Way in Darke County.

Marine Lance Cpl. Subler was killed by communist forces on September 30, 1968, as a result of multiple shrapnel wounds from hostile rocket fire.

The Staff Sgt. Gene F. Morrison Memorial Bridge will be established on the bridge spanning over Indian Creek on State Route 47 just outside of Staff Sgt. Morrison’s hometown of Versailles in Darke County.  Staff Sgt. Morrison died on June 3, 1968, while serving in Vietnam.

The legislation will now head to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.