As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, we are honoring local servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation.
Today, we remember Sgt. Jeremy Michael Hodge of Rushsylvania.
Hodge was 20 years old when he was killed in action on October 10, 2005, while serving in Baghdad, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
A member of Bravo Company, 612th Engineer Battalion of the Ohio Army National Guard, Hodge was riding in a Humvee when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Born July 7, 1985, at Yokota Air Base in Japan, Hodge grew up in Logan County and graduated from Ridgemont High School in 2003.
He was the kind of young man who seemed to be involved in everything.
At Ridgemont, he played football and baseball, participated in show choir and theater productions, and built lasting friendships throughout the school and community.
Away from school, Hodge enjoyed hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, motorcycles, and NASCAR racing.
Family members described him as someone with a larger-than-life personality who never met a stranger and always put others before himself.
Those qualities carried over into his military service.
Friends and fellow soldiers remembered Hodge as a hardworking leader who embraced duty, honor, and service.
He proudly answered the call to serve following the attacks of September 11 and deployed overseas as part of the Ohio National Guard’s mission in Iraq.
Today, Hodge’s memory lives on through the Sgt. Jeremy Michael Hodge War Memorial in Rushsylvania.
Located along State Route 274, the memorial features a bronze likeness and inscription honoring his service and sacrifice.
He is remembered as a devoted son, brother, friend, teammate, soldier, and patriot—a young man who loved his family, loved his community, and willingly gave his life in service to his country.
Jeremy’s father joined Listen Up! Sunday morning on 98.3 WPKO with News Director April King:
As our nation reflects on 250 years of freedom, Sgt. Jeremy Hodge’s legacy serves as a reminder that those freedoms have come at a cost, paid by men and women willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
