A request came in to Color Guard Commander John Conlon to have our NE Post 630 color guard present the colors at a very special memorial ceremony for World War II veteran and Cincinnati resident Norton Vernon Retzsch, taking place at the Hamilton County Public Library in downtown Cincinnati on April 13. Retzsch worked at the library prior to joining the Marines. Conlon advised that it would be an honor to assist, and six proud members of the team were present to take part in the ceremony. The members of the color guard stood by while invocations and speeches were made and presented the colors when the time came. Conlon presented a memorial flag to a local relative of Retzsch's.

PFC Retzsch graduated from Hughes High School in 1937 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 1941. He later deployed to the Pacific and served with Company C, 1st Marine Raider Battalion. On July 9, 1943, Company C advanced toward enemy positions near Enogai when it came under heavy fire. Retzsch was one of three Marines reported missing after the battle. Days later, chaplain Father Paul Redmond recounted an encounter in which a patrol discovered a dog tag on a fallen enemy soldier bearing Retzsch’s name. Through family DNA samples and research of archived unidentified remains, Retzsch was identified on April 1, 2025. His burial was April 13, 2026, in Marana, Ariz.; the Cincinnati ceremony coincided with that burial.