The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Pride of Lorain shines worldwide
Those who serve in military represent city well; some rise to high ranks
Many prominent military veterans hail from the city of Lorain.
And this Veterans Day is the 100th anniversary of the end of fighting in World War I.
Jim Smith, a Lorain historian, said the International City played a large role in World War I and World War II and subsequent wars.
Smith, 80, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1961 and served two years.
“Many need to know that much of Lorain’s history was created by war veterans whom were Lorainites,” he said.
Some of the Lorain men who went on to become great military leaders include:
• U.S. Army Gen. Johnnie Wilson served in Vietnam and was in charge of logistics in the first Gulf War.
Wilson is a 1961 graduate of Lorain High School and currently lives in Springfield, Va.
He is one of the first three African Americans to become a four-star general, Smith said.
“...who served in the military and retired in high ranks. There are many others who have not been recognized, but I’m proud of them.”
— U.S. Army Gen. Johnnie E. Wilson
General Johnnie Wilson Middle School in Lorain is named for him.
Wilson, 75, noted the thousands of veterans throughout Lorain County who have sacrificed their lives for their country.
“There are thousands of veterans who are great American patriots that makes us a great as a nation,” he said. “We have to do something to continue to recognize all of them.
“Lorain County has many people who are from Lorain, who served in the military and retired in high ranks. There are many others who have not been recognized, but I’m proud of them.”
He added Lorain should be proud of its veterans because they have been outstanding ambassadors for the city, county and country.
Wilson said he was drafted at 17 in 1961.
He said he joined the military for an opportunity for a great education and to represent Lorain as a young man.
Wilson is the second of 12 siblings.
After 38 years in the military, he said the journey was full of opportunities that got him toward his success as a general.
Wilson said it wasn’t easy while traveling the world overseas and raising a family.
However, he said the family adapted and always made time to return to Lorain.
Wilson said Lorain holds a special place in his heart and he enjoys watching it grow with the help of its citizens.
He visits and talks to students at General Johnnie Wilson Middle and attends graduations at Lorain High School to applaud their success.
Working with the youth is something Wilson said he enjoys.
In Springfield, he said he also helps to push young people toward their goals in the military or other ways that they can attain successful careers.
Wilson said being a mentor for young students and others in his hometown is a wonderful thing to do.
“We have to continue to work hard for the coup (all communities) to continue to make a difference in community,” he said.
If young people should explore a military career and what it has to offer, Wilson said it would be a great opportunity.
• U.S. Army Major Gen. Quincy Adams Gillmore, who served during the Civil War.
Gilmore was noted for his use of the rifled cannon and the Victory at Fort Pulaski, Smith said.
His family farm is now Lakeview Park in Lorain.
Gillmore is a graduate of Elyria High School and was number one in his class at West Point, Smith said.
When Gillmore was put in charge of the Department of the South and the X Corps, he ordered the arming of all black troops under his command and allowed them to fight, Smith said.
He said when Gillmore learned abolitionist Harriet Tubman had led a group of U.S. troops in military action, the general ordered that she receive pay for her services and given a medal.
Later, Gillmore worked to secure a pension for Tubman, Smith said.
This is the only known time that a spy led a military group during the Civil War, he said.
• U.S. Marine Brigadier Gen. George C. Reid was the son of Conrad Reid, the first mayor of the village of Lorain.
Reid served in the Civil War during the 1860s and the Spanish American War in 1914, for which he was awarded The Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery, Smith said.
Reid is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
• U.S. Army Brigadier Gen. William “Wild Bill” Gillmore served in the Spanish American War and WWI.
Gillmore graduated from Lorain High School in 1895 and was a nephew of U.S. Army Major Gen. Quincy Adams Gillmore, who also was an American civil engineer.
At one time, Wild Bill Gillmore was in charge of the Materials Division of the U.S. Army Air Corp, now the U.S. Air Force, Smith said.
A building at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton is named for him.
• U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King served in The Spanish-American War, WWI and was fleet commander and chief of Naval Operations during WWII.
King was the first person to hold both post simultaneously, reported directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and commanded the largest armada in naval history, Smith said.
He graduated from Lorain High in 1897 and died in 1956. His funeral was held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
King’s motto was: “We will do the best we can with what we have.”
An elementary school in Lorain is named for him.
• U.S. Marine Corps Major Lofton Henderson was a pilot who saw heavy combat action.
During the Battle of Midway, Henderson purposely guided his plane into a Japanese ship.
He graduated from Lorain High School in 1921.
An airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific is named in his honor as well as a bridge over the Black River in Lorain that connects the east and west sides of the city.
Henderson also was awarded The Navy Cross.
• U.S. Marine Corps Charles Berry was killed during the battle for Iwo Jima on March 19, 1945, and was buried on the island.
In 1948, Berry’s body was transferred to Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain.
President Harry S. Truman awarded Berry’s family The Congressional Medal of Honor for his service.
Berry graduated from Clearview High School in 1941.
The Charles Berry Bascule Bridge in Lorain is named in his honor. The bridge also links the city’s east and west sides over the Black River.
• U.S. Army Major Gen. Joe Robles served in Vietnam, the first Gulf War and was commanding officer of the First Infantry Division known as “The Big Red One.”
Robles retired as the CEO of USAA Insurance Co. in 2015 and also is a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award.
President Barack Obama named Robles chair of the My VA Commission in 2016, Smith said.