Central Ohio village building memorial wall for former air force base
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) — The Village of Lockbourne is working on a new memorial, the Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base Memorial Wall.
A sign with a rendering of the memorial wall is posted at the community's Veterans Park. The village is right next to Rickenbacker International Airport, formerly an Air Force base.
'Rickenbacker actually was named Lockbourne Air Force base originally. And so the village residents kind of feel like it's our base, it's kind of our home,' Mayor Christie Ward said.
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During the community's Memorial Day parade, an early design of the wall was on the village's float.
'We're really very supportive of the military, and it's really telling our history as well. The base kids they went to Hamilton Township so many of us went to school with the base kids,' Ward said.
Before Rickenbacker International Airport was the airport, it was Rickenbacker Air Force Base for Eddie Rickenbacker, Medal of Honor recipient. Before that, it was the Lockbourne Air Force Base. It was a training airfield for the Women Airforce Service Pilots, and the Tuskegee Airmen were stationed there after World War II.
'It just has a magnificent contribution not just to central Ohio history, Ohio history but American history as well,' Robert Stroup, a local author, said.
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The idea for the memorial wall began with Stroup, who wrote a book about the base. He said along with displaying facts and stories about the base, it will be a tribute to those from the base who made the ultimate sacrifice.
'I think it's going to be just a beautiful sight that will commemorate those who have served here,' he said. 'Who have made the ultimate sacrifice. And we're certainly looking to honor all in that capacity.'
The memorial is being publicly and privately funded. About $300,000 of the $525,000 needed for the project has been raised, according to Ward. She said a groundbreaking will take place in August and the memorial is expected to be completed in 2026.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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