ST. MARYS, OH (WLIO) - The residents of St. Marys took time this Veterans Day to honor the citizen soldiers of the Ohio National Guard that were part of their community for nearly 150 years.
The Ohio National Guard left St. Marys in 2020 to join forces with Lima. But it was hard to forget all the guardsmen and women that have been a part of the community since 1877. That is why John Burd came up with the idea to build a memorial to their local Ohio National Guard across the street from the armory where they served. He is thrilled about how it turned out.
"I love it, you know I am so proud that now I could bust," says John Burd, St. Marys Resident who proposed the monument. "The purpose of the monument is to make sure that people down, my kids, grandkids, you know on down the line, everybody in St. Marys knows what these guys done. Because, if you read their history, it is unbelievable man."
City officials also wanted to make sure the sacrifice of those who served and those who lost their lives in the name of freedom were honored with the memorial.
"It was necessary to honor their sacrifice and commitment here over all of those years, through the punitive exhibition of World War I and World War II, Korea, the War on Terror," says Kim Reiher, Network Administrator for the City of St. Marys.
Members of the Ohio National Guard appreciate the memorial and the devotion that the city has given their citizen soldiers who are on the call to serve in the United States and abroad.
"I think it is quite an honor that St. Marys, who has been invested in the National Guard for the last 143 years, wants to continue to remember the solders and the personnel that have served here and sacrificed alongside them in this community," says Col. Matthew Woodruff, Assistant Adjutant General, OARNG.
Now the community has a lasting monument to their service and a reminder that the guard will be there when needed.
"And although the unit that was here is no longer here, we will still stay tied into the community through events, gatherings, and in a time of need," adds Woodruff.
"St. Marys is always going to honor our commitment to the guard back into the 1800s and we hope someday that they come back," adds Reiher.
