Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary

History of the OSHP Auxilary

Formed at the beginning of World War II, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2022. Organized by Col. Lynn Black, the Auxiliary has a long, proud history dating back almost as long as the Patrol itself.

In early 1941, it became apparent that Patrol manpower would be severely depleted by the war. At the same time, the Division was given increased responsibilities, including coordination of movement of military convoys and civilian traffic, investigation of subversive activity, and 24-hour patrols around airports, bridges, defense plants, and military installations.

Col. Black and his assistant, Inspector George Mingle, believed the American Legion could best meet the need for an all-volunteer Auxiliary force. Legionnaires were military veterans of good character and willing to serve their country – and would not likely be called back into national service.

With the help of Legionnaires Joe Deutschle (state adjutant of the American Legion), and William Konold, an Auxiliary force was assembled in short order. The first official enrollment meeting was held in Franklin County on February 8, 1942. By April, 2,650 members were in training. The 40-hour course included desk duty, patrol, convoy movements, first aid, evacuations, enforcement of blackout regulations, safeguarding concentrations of weapons and ammunition, and surveillance and observation.

By March 1945, the 297 patrolmen from three years previous, had dwindled to 137 uniform men, compared with more than 5,000 Auxiliary officers. As a direct result of Col. Black’s foresight in creating the Auxiliary, numerous Patrol posts were kept open and operating – with volunteer Auxiliary officers handling office duties 24 hours a day.

The Division and its Auxiliary force were fully prepared to have more than 350 strategic intersections under full control within one hour of a statewide emergency. With this aid, military convoys could cross Ohio at an average speed of 20 mph – an unbelievably quick pace for those days. The original organization of the Auxiliary, which remains basically the same today, provided for an Auxiliary commander, originally designated “major-at-large,” and a major for each Patrol district. Floyd R. Hartpence, the first major-at-large, presided over monthly council meetings during 1942 with Col. Black, Inspector Mingle, and other Patrol senior staff officers.

DISASTER Work

The Auxiliary was brought into public notice in a big way in the early morning of May 31, 1942, when a huge wave from Lake Erie crashed into North Madison, throwing boats as far as 300 feet beyond the usual high water mark. The Geneva post called out the Lake County Auxiliary, and within one hour, 27 of the 31 officers in the unit were on the scene to assist with rescue and recovery efforts.

In 1945, one of the most destructive floods in Ohio River history occurred, and the Patrol called out the Auxiliary. As many as 258 Auxiliary officers from southeastern Ohio were on duty in one day, with a 10-day total of 7,392 hours volunteered.

Renewed Numbers

Following World War II, the number of active Auxiliary members began to decrease. But as fears related to the Cold War began to rise, the need for a large compliment of Auxiliary officers was obvious. By the early 1950s, the Auxiliary was again near its wartime peak of 5,000 men, and was prepared for any potential statewide emergency.

The Auxiliary was an important part of the Ohio Civil Defense plan. The five states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan later joined to form a Midwest regional disaster preparedness group – patterned after the Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary.

In 1954, Don Schoeppe, an original member of the Ohio Highway Patrol Auxiliary and a retired Florida resident, helped organize the Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary and became its first commander. A delegation from Ohio’s Patrol and Auxiliary officers helped train a cadre of 25 instructors for Florida’s first Auxiliary class. When the 40-hour work week became law in 1955, the Division began hiring civilian dispatchers to enable sworn officers to dedicate more time to enforcement duties. Through the efforts of Auxiliary Officer (and former patrolman) Wayne Tresemer, many of the first civilian dispatchers hired were Auxiliary officers who had been dispatching as volunteers for many years.

Sacrifices

Tresemer received the Auxiliary’s Ulmer Award for his heroic actions when he rescued several people from a burning ferris wheel at the State Fair in 1962.

The Ulmer Award was established in memory of Aux. Ptl. Earl Ulmer, who was struck and killed in July 1953, while directing traffic at a crash scene in Lowell. Another Auxiliary officer killed in the line of duty was Dale R. Warrington, who died in a traffic crash during a pursuit in Allen County.

On March 2, 1957, an armed killer being pursued by Ptl. Robert Karsmizki had crashed at a roadblock in Galion. Aux. Capt. Roy Scott of Crestline and the patrolman he was riding with arrived to find the felon sprawled on the ground with Ptl. Karsmizki covering him with his gun. The Patrol rifle was handed to Aux. Scott as Karsmizki approached the apparently unconscious man. The killer then rolled over and fired, hitting Karsmizki and turning his gun on Ptl. Youtz. Ptl. Karsmizki was killed and Ptl. Youtz was seriously injured, but Aux. Scott returned fire, killing the felon.

More Duties

In 1964, in a program to increase assistance to stranded motorists, Auxiliary officers were assigned to solo patrols on interstate highways in state trucks. By the early 1970s, a “stationary patrol” program was initiated, where Auxiliary officers would sit in parked Highway Patrol cruisers, usually in crossovers of interstates or other heavily traveled roads.

In 1972, the Auxiliary Council proposed a Junior Cadet Week at the Academy for boys selected from those attending the American Legion’s Buckeye Boys State. This proposal was activated and has continued each year since. For the first 25 years, all Junior Cadet Week expenses for meals, lodging, hats, T-shirts, etc. were paid for by voluntary contributions from members of the Ohio Highway Patrol Auxiliary.

Throughout its steadfast history, the Auxiliary has had very few turnovers in commanders. After the original Major-at-Large Floyd Hartpence, Major-at-Large William S. Konold was followed by Wesley L. Osborne in 1973. Major-at-Large William J. Duffy became the fourth Auxiliary commander in 1989. His rank was changed to lieutenant colonel in 1993.

When Col. Thomas Rice became superintendent in 1989, no new Auxiliary classes had been held since 1969, and the median age of the approximately 200 remaining members was 65 years old. A staff study ordered by Col. Rice validated the need for an Auxiliary force, and Aux. Lt. Col. Duffy was asked to help coordinate the reorganization and revitalization of the Auxiliary.

One change implemented under Aux. Lt. Col. Duffy’s leadership included recruiting outside the American Legion, which was unable to furnish enough young volunteers for new classes. For the first time, Auxiliary officers were required to be in full uniform to ride on patrol. Aux. Lt. Col. Duffy also supported a new written policy requiring annual firearms familiarization for Auxiliary officers. Recruit training was revised to 82 hours, more than double the previous requirement.

In order to retain enough experience and organization to integrate new members into the Auxiliary, an “advisory” status was created. This permitted officers beyond the mandatory retirement age of 70 to continue serving in administrative capacities – but not ride on patrol (this “advisory status was ended in the early 2000s). In addition, the mandatory retirement age for Auxiliaries joining after 1991 was lowered to 65.

The Auxiliary celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 1992. In December, the first Auxiliary class in the state since 1969 graduated in the Cambridge district. This class included the first female Auxiliary officer, Lynne Maynard, who would later become the first female captain and first female major. These new Auxiliary officers, along with current Auxiliaries, were-issued body-armor vests for the first time in 1992.

On January 1, 1996, Lt. Col. Thomas D. Charles of Zanesville was appointed by Col. Warren Davies to become the 5th commander of the Auxiliary, replacing retiring Aux. Lt. Col. William J. Duffy. Lt. Col. Charles reinstituted an Auxiliary newsletter, the Spare Wheel, which the Patrol had published in the 1950s. He also enlisted the help of the Academy staff to start annual statewide in-service training for the Auxiliary.

In addition, Lt. Col. Charles modified the Auxiliary rank structure. Auxiliary group commanders at each Patrol post were changed from the rank of captain to lieutenant, and Auxiliary executive officers at each Patrol district were changed from major to captain.

State Fair and “Statutory Authority”

In August 1996, the Patrol did not have a cadet class in session to work the Ohio State Fair. The Auxiliary was asked to assist with that detail and has been an integral part of the Patrol’s contingent at the fair ever since.

Another issue dealt with in the 1990s was the “statutory authority” for the Auxiliary. The Ohio Attorney General could find nothing presently in the Ohio Revised Code authorizing the Auxiliary and could therefore not represent Auxiliary officers in court. Col. Kenneth B. Marshall, launched a legislative initiative to permanently resolve the liability and statutory authority problems.

Governor George V. Voinovich signed House Bill 599 on June 1, 1998, and Section 5503.1l(A) of the Ohio Revised Code came into being, thus providing for indemnification and legal representation of Auxiliary officers in the same manner as troopers.

2000 and Beyond

In 2004 Aux. Lt. Col. Charles retired and Colonel Paul D. McClellan appointed Tom Forbes as the new commander. Under Lt. Col. Forbes, a new uniform for the Auxiliary was approved, with the police-style hat being replaced with a Stetson, along with stripes added to the pants and epaulets to the shirt. The Auxiliary also continued to hold regular training classes for recruits, which kept Auxiliary numbers in the 120 to 140 range for most of the decade.

In 2006 the Auxiliary’s structure changed to more closely resemble the Patrol’s set-up, and Colonel McClellan appointed new leaders – Aux. Colonel Brent Rawlins and Aux. Lt. Colonel Steven Morgan.

Throughout the decade the Auxiliary continued assisting troopers on patrol and working special details, including Ohio State football games, the Ohio State Fair, and Memorial Day services at Dayton National Cemetery. The Auxiliary was also activated for a number of emergency details, including the 2008 crash of a Convair 580 cargo plane in Pickaway County.

In 2012, Auxiliary Colonel Rawlins retired after ten years of service. Colonel John Born appointed Aux. Colonel Arthur L. Wilson as the eighth Auxiliary commander in 70 years. Auxiliary Colonel Denis Hite succeeded Wilson as commander in 2014.

Pandemic Emergency Callouts

The initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in the largest emergency callout of the Auxiliary in decades, with Auxiliary officers assisting with food deliveries along with working traffic control and other duties at food distributions across Ohio. Some details such as the Cleveland Food Bank and Mid Ohio Food Bank drive-thru food distributions provided thousands of people each week with food. Other programs such as the LifeCare Alliance’s Meals on Wheels involved delivering food directly to the homes of elderly and at-risk individuals (with Auxiliaries and Troopers eventually delivering nearly 11,000 meals through this one program alone).

Overall, OSHP Auxiliary officers volunteered nearly 2,500 hours without pay working these emergency food distribution details during the initial months of the pandemic. In response to the Auxiliary’s work, the program was awarded a Spirit Award from the LifeCare Alliance and a community service award from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.