CINCINNATI — Nestled in a hillside community park lies a picturesque memorial garden. At the center of it lies a plaque with a name etched at the top: George W. Haller.
He graduated from Wyoming High School in 1940. He then enrolled at the University of Cincinnati.
A gifted artist, he majored in Fine Art, but while in his third year, tragedy rocked the country.
"Pearl Harbor happened and my mom told me many times that he just said that this was not good and he felt that he was going to have to get involved," John Walter said.
He shared his uncle's story with WCPO on Memorial Day Monday, 80 years after Haller made the ultimate sacrifice.
At just 21 years old, Haller was drafted by the U.S. Army in June 1943. Deployed overseas in December 1943, he served in the 144th Infantry training in Africa. He was sent to Italy the following month.
In February 1944, Haller was wounded while fighting in the city of Casino. He spent three months in a military hospital and was awarded the Purple Heart Medal of Honor.
While still recovering in May of that same year, Haller was called to fight again.
"D-Day was approaching and they literally went into the hospitals and said, 'You're back at the front' and here he was, wounded and ... it's just incomprehensible," Walter said.
Haller was first reported missing in action, according to an October 1944 newsletter issued by his Sigma Chi Fraternity. His parents received a telegram from the Secretary of War confirming he was killed in action on May 21 in Italy at the Battle of Anzio.
"Brother of Jean Walter and Dale Haller. To him and countless others like him, we owe our freedom," said Walter, while reading aloud Haller's plaque and fighting back tears.
Walter never met his uncle, knowing him only through stories shared by his mother and another uncle.
A developer and builder, Walter set out to honor Haller. He already owned a strip of land between Klotter Avenue and Conroy Streets, so he teamed up with his brother and neighbors to turn it from a community dump site to a memorial park.
Walter said Haller was a pacifist and found peace in nature.
The group spent the next two decades beautifying the area, then in 2001 Walter commissioned a local foundry in the West End to create his uncle's memorial plaque. Walter said its unveiling served as a gift for his mother, Haller's sister, on her 80th birthday.
"It was incredible," he said. "It was just very memorable."
Though the plaque bears Haller's name, it's also dedicated to every service member killed in the line of duty. That fact is emphasized by the American Flag flying above the treetops mounted just steps away.
Beside the serene surroundings, Walter said he also chose the location for one other poignant reason. If you stand near the top of the steps, you can see Union Terminal.
"That's the last place any of the family members saw him," said Walter. "And not just him but just about all the boys that left."
