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Ohio National Guard 179th Airlift Wing dedicates Larson Hall

  • Published
  • By Emily Dech
  • Richland Source
Mansfield OH --  The 179th Airlift Wing held a dedication ceremony Wednesday, November 5, 2014, for Larson Hall, which was named in honor of the late Brigadier General Fred Larson.

Retired Lt. Col. Len Sipe, who helped spearhead the dedication of Larson Hall, worked with Larson while he served at the base. He said, "Fred Larson has been just a huge part of the history of this organization... He has always been our ideal of what a commander would be like."

Thus, Sipe was inspired to dedicate one of the rooms at the base in his name. Sipe said he collaborated with Tech. Sgt. Joe Harwood in the creation of five panels that now decorate the room and depict the history of aviation in Mansfield.

"Joe and I sorted through 20,000 photographs," he said. The project began at the beginning of the year and will continue as the base experiences more historical moments. "The history is just going to continue," said Col. Gary McCue.

Sipe said he thought it was important to have the images and narratives within the room as an archive that illustrates the history of the base.

Sheila Larson, wife of Fred Larson, commented, "To see so much of the history displayed here is like going down memory lane." She later shared, "When I first saw the sign 'Larson Hall' above the doorway, I had to chuckle to myself. You see, my maiden name was Sheila Hall."

She was appreciative of the effort that was put into this project and shared on behalf of her husband, "Fred would be so humbly honored by this dedication of Larson Hall. He would be overwhelmed. I know he is looking down on us with that smile with such gratitude.

"If he were here today, he would be so proud of everybody in this unit and the successes that you have achieved. He would take great comfort in knowing the 179th is in good hands and say 'keep shining.'"

Larson was commissioned into the Ohio Air National Guard in 1963. He graduated from Wadsworth High School and attended Ohio University, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management. In 1984, he graduated from The U.S. Army War College. He gained command of the 179th Airlift Wing in 1986.

During his command, the unit saw the implementation of the Total Quality program, spent time in the Persian Gulf War, and transitioned to C-130H model aircraft. Larson retired after nine years as commander in 1995. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1996, while serving as Director of Operations, HQ, Ohio Air National Guard, in Columbus, Ohio. He passed away on Jan. 1, 2012 at the age of 71.

Larson Hall will serve as the home for the 179th Shadow Flight, an organization made of retired 179th members and their families. The group is dedicated to give support to the active military members during times of need and an advocate to keeping the Mansfield base open. Their mission is to identify, catalogue, preserve and store any item deemed a historical documents, photograph, or item from any significant 179th event. These items are maintained in Larson Hall.

Shadow Flight supports scholarship for 179th families, the 179th Outstanding Airmen of the Year awards and base and community projects through volunteering, donations and dues.

http://www.richlandsource.com/military/ohio-national-guard-th-airlift-wing-dedicates-larson-hall/article_2621db7e-6531-11e4-ac38-001a4bcf6878.html

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