Alyssa Burley
On the corner of Mallway and North Arlington Avenue rests a bittersweet tribute to members of a community who fought with the intent to ensure that their loved ones could live freely. Upper Arlington’s streets are rich with history and inhabited by a community that shows its pride and patriotism at every opportunity – and this Memorial Day weekend was no exception.
May 29, Upper Arlington invited the community to the unveiling of the newly renovated Veterans Plaza.
The unveiling included members of the city council, the Upper Arlington Community Foundation and Historical Society, as well as the Veteran’s Committee.
Following the unveiling and honoring the 2020 inductees is the postponed 2020 Wall of Honor induction ceremony June 6.
Wall of Honor
The Wall of Honor, located on the limestone wall in front of the Municipal Services Center, commemorates deceased residents of the community who have contributed significantly to the city, state or nation. In 2020, the ceremony was delayed and eventually postponed until now.
This year’s Wall of Honor induction ceremony recognizes Ken Thompson and Linda Readey.
Thompson was the first director of the city’s parks and recreation department and served the city for more than 25 years. His connections to the Buckeye State are innumerable, though he was well known as an Ohio State football fan – and a member of the 1954 National Championship team as a running back under coach Woody Hayes.
Readey was another well-loved Upper Arlington community member. Her contributions to the community include serving on the school board and as executive director for the UACF in addition to countless other committee roles for organizations such as the Upper Arlington Rotary Club, Junior League, Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Historical Society.
The Wall of Honor ceremony will unveil Thompson and Readey’s bronze plaques added the wall, which will now tally 47 honorees.
Alyssa Burley
Major Memorials
Within the plaza, the five pillars representative of valor, sacrifice, integrity, duty and gratitude are accompanied by local Veteran stories to honor their contributions.
Visitors to the memorial can read about Lieutenant Irene DeCapua, Captain John B. Gillespie III, Rear Admiral Dean Lane Axene, the 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and Second-Class Petty Officer William J. Richards.
DeCapua is remembered for her valor when innovating solutions to aid in caring for injured soldiers after the invasion on the beaches of Normandy in 1944, only days after the attack. She underwent a swath of dangerous missions through enemy water inorder to provide relief to injured soldiers. After her service, DeCapua called Upper Arlington home for almost three decades.
Similarly, Gillespie is remembered for his sacrifice during deployment in the Navy in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Gillespie is honored for his bravery and for sacrificing his life at the Battle of Guadalcanal with awards including the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Presidential Unit Citation.
Axene is remembered for his commitment to respond to the call of duty. A graduate of Upper Arlington High School, Axene commanded an extensive list of US ships and is credited for sinking three Japanese ships during his service on WWII war patrols. Axene has been honored with attending the Senior Seminar in Foreign Policy at the State Department and has been a staff member of the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic. Axene’s arsenal of awards also includes the Submarine Combat Patrol Pin, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V and the Great Star of Military Merit from the government of Chile.
The 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry is remembered for its integrity as the first state-recognized African American regiment during the Civil War. Local historic icon Pleasant Litchford’s sons served the northern cause during the American Civil War. Abraham, Fredrick and Blake Litchford were members of what became designated as the 5th Regiment, United States Colored Troops.
Richards is remembered in light of gratitude for his time serving in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. Onboard the USS Chicago, which was tasked with ensuring US military planes safe entry and exit to Vietnam, Richards served as the liaison between the captain and the weapons and operations officers.
Richards also served in the courier’s office for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), traversing Europe to ensure confidential messages made it safely to a variety of NATO bases. After his service, Richards served the students of Upper Arlington as a teacher at Barrington Elementary, Wickliffe Progressive and Hastings Middle School by championing an annual program honoring Veterans and active duty military in the community. Richards’ program has since been adopted by many schools surrounding Upper Arlington.
Alyssa Burley is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
