After recently celebrating Veterans Day, Lt. Col. Steve McLaughlin is continuing the celebration of those who have served in armed services with his hope of building a memorial in honor of two Shelby residents who sacrificed their lives in the Korean War.
This project, “The Project Not Forgotten,” and its mission is to establish a memorial in downtown Shelby in remembrance of Pfc. Charles Kirkpatrick of the 5th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army and Cpl. James Bricker of the 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
McLaughlin was motivated to initiate the project when he became aware that 20 Richland County residents who fought in the Korean War (also known as the Forgotten War) never returned home. This number includes Kirkpatrick and Bricker, who shared the same hometown as McLaughlin.
Kirkpatrick graduated from Shelby High School in 1926. He was killed in action on August 27, 1950 and was also a veteran of front-line fighting in Germany during World War II.
Bricker graduated from Shelby High School in 1947. Only three years later, he was killed in action. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement.
McLaughlin noted that at present, Shelby has memorials honoring those killed during World War II, the Vietnam War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Our service members that have died in combat, fighting in our nation’s wars, deserve to be remembered for their sacrifice,” he said, which includes those who fought in the Korean War.
The cost for the proposed memorial is roughly $7,000.
An account has been established to raise funds through Citizens Bank located at 156 Mansfield Ave., Shelby, OH 44875. Donations may be sent to McLaughlin’s attention, made out to “Project Not Forgotten.”
The money raised will be used solely for this project. If there are any funds left over after the initial project is completed, they will be used toward a World War I memorial project.
