Ohio Army National Guard facilities across Ohio to get new names. Find out why

Canton Repository
·2 min read

Ohio Army National Guard facilities in Alliance and Green will be renamed to honor former members who served in the early 1900s.

The military announced the dedications Friday, saying seven Ohio Army National Guard facilities throughout the state will be dedicated as part of the Army Memorial Program.

The Alliance Armory will be dedicated as the Capt. Fred A. Kochli Armory.

The Green facility near the Akron-Canton Airport will be renamed as the Gov. Thomas J. Herbert Army Aviation Support Facility.

The other facilities will be the:

  • Col. Gordon Roberts Armory in Lebanon

  • Capt. Eugene M. Socha Armory in Lorain

  • Lt. Col. Albert L. Allen Jr. Readiness Center in Mansfield

  • Col. Frederick W. Galbraith Training and Community Center in Woodlawn

  • Capt. Fred C. Redick Armory in Wooster

The seven individuals were selected from nominations received by members of the Ohio National Guard as well as outside organizations. The Armory Memorialization Board, chaired by Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, reviewed the nominations and made a recommendation to the adjutant general for approval.

The board comprised members of the joint staff and representatives from the tenant units of the selectedfacilities. Dedication ceremonies will occur over the next couple years, with specific ceremony dates to be determined.

Who was Fred Kochli?

Born in 1891 in Alliance, Kochli enlisted in the local company of the Ohio National Guard in 1911, the military said. In 1916, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served with the Alliance unit in active service along the Mexican border in 1916 and during World War I.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in September 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive and the attack on Montfaucon, France. He was severely wounded during the war, which resulted in the loss of his right arm. After the war, Kochli was heavily involved in veterans issues. He died Sept. 13, 1967.

Who was Thomas J. Herbert?

A native of Cleveland, Herbert was born in 1894. At the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted in the Army and was commissioned in the Air Service in 1918. Flying with the Royal Air Force in France, Herbert was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star Citation, and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.

He was commissioned a major in the Ohio National Guard in 1927 and was the first commander of the first flying unit in Ohio National Guard history, the 112th Observation Squadron, 37th Division Aviation. Herbert served as the Ohio attorney general from 1939 to 1945 and was elected Ohio’s 56th governor in 1947. He also was the 116th justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 1957 to 1962. Herbert died in 1974.

The Ohio National Guard said it is still trying to connect with the Redick and Galbraith families. Family members are encouraged to contact Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann at 614-336- 7311 or joshua.d.mann.mil@army.mil.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio Army National Guard renaming Green, Alliance facilities