ONTARIO — If Lt. Col. Albert L. Allen Jr. could speak for himself Monday, he would’ve disagreed with those who called him a hero during a dedication ceremony.
Allen was posthumously honored during a Richland County Veterans Service Commission and Ohio Department of Transportation highway dedication where the words “hero” and “patriot” were used frequently.
But Allen’s wife, Nancy, recognized her husband’s humility.
“If he were alive today, he would have said there was no way you guys were going to to do this,” she said. “He was a veteran’s veteran, that’s what he was.”
Monday’s ceremony came after nearly two years of planning, said state representative Mark Romanchuk. He initially met with Doug Theaker, Commission president, during a lunch 18 months ago to discuss the possibility of dedicating the section of Interstate 71 from the Ashland County border all the way to Ohio 13 in Richland County.
Before his death in 2004, Allen served in World War II and endured more than three years as a prisoner of war in the Philippines and Manchuria following the infamous Bataan Death March. He was liberated by the Russians in August 1945.
Upon his honorable discharge from active duty in 1946, Allen was awarded the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, three Presidential Citations and numerous campaign medals. He continued to serve for 24 more years in the Army Reserves.
In May, Senate Bill 162 required (ODOT) to place signs along the designated roadways recognizing Allen’s sacrifices.
“He was an American hero and patriot. And when you look at his service record, it goes without saying he was an absolute hero,” Romanchuk said, a co-sponsor of the bill along with Senator Larry Obhof (R).
Obhof said dedications to veterans, such as renaming sections of highways, recognizes the special role veterans play in society.
“To have somebody who literally spent his whole life sacrificing for the good of others, I think he’s one of the best of us,” Obhof said.
Allen graduated from Mansfield Senior High School before entering the military and earned his bachelor’s degree from Wooster College soon after his discharge in 1948.
He was active in the veteran community, serving as commander of his American Legion and VFW posts, chairing the Military Affairs Council of the Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and in numerous other roles.
Allen was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 1997 and was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame in 2004. The Richland County Veterans Service Center has been renamed the “Lt. Colonel Albert L. Allen Veterans Center” in his honor.
ODOT Deputy Director of Business & Human Resources Matt Miller said he is proud be part of an organization that will continue Allen’s legacy of patriotism.
“Good guys never truly die,” he said, addressing Nancy. “Their legacy lives on.”
I visited the US cemetery in Manila Philippines and the Bataan memorial in Pilar Philippines. God bless everyone who served.