Warren County National Guard armory to be named for Medal of Honor recipient

Ed Richter, Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
·2 min read

Mar. 12—The Ohio National Guard Armory located in Lebanon will be renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Col. Gordon Roberts.

Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant general, announced Monday that seven Ohio Army National Guard facilities will be dedicated in honor of former members who valiantly served the nation in the 20th century.

The selections were made as part of the Army Memorial Program, which provides a permanent, lasting honor to distinguished personnel who served with valor and distinction. The seven individuals were selected from nominations received by members of the Ohio National Guard as well as outside organizations.

Raised in Lebanon, Roberts is a 1968 graduate of Lebanon High School.

Roberts received the Medal of Honor in Vietnam in 1969. He was commissioned in the Ohio National Guard in 1989 as a medical service officer and served with the 112th Medical Brigade until returning to the Regular Army in 1991. Roberts retired from the Army in 2012 as a colonel.

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 selected facilities.

Dedication ceremonies for each facility will occur over the next couple years, with specific ceremony dates to be determined. For some facilities, the ceremony will be held in conjunction with reopening events tied to significant renovation and upgrades of the building.

Other members of the Ohio National Guard being honored and armories being renamed are located in: — Wooster: Capt. Fred C. Redick Armory. — Lorain: Capt. Eugene M. Socha Armory. — Alliance: Capt. Fred A. Kochli Armory. — Woodlawn: Col. Frederick W. Galbraith Training and Community Center. — Mansfield: Lt. Col. Albert L. Allen Jr. Readiness Center. — North Canton: Governor Thomas J. Herbert Army Aviation Support Facility.