Rep. Hambley Sponsors Bill in Remembrance of Local Veteran

COLUMBUS—State Representative Stephen Hambley (R-Brunswick) announced the House’s passage of legislation he sponsored that would designate a portion of State Route 261 in Medina and Summit Counties as the Sergeant James F. Allen III Memorial Highway.

Sergeant Allen, a decorated veteran who resided in Wadsworth, was deployed three times; twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan to fight the War on Terrorism.

Sergeant Allen suffered numerous concussions from IED explosions while serving, and after he returned home in 2011,  he was diagnosed with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He succumbed to this mental illness in February 2016. Rep. Hambley was made aware of Sergeant Allen’s brave service and about his battle with PTSD and made it his mission to bring awareness to the issue and all those who are suffering from this disorder following their time in the armed forces.

“It has been said that in American culture we prefer that our warriors should suffer their pain silently,” Hambley said on the floor of the Ohio House. “When only 50 percent of returning vets who need veteran mental health treatment receive these services, we don’t want our hero warriors to suffer their pain silently. We want them to seek help and get treatment.”

House Bill 22 will now go to the Senate for further consideration.

State Representative Hambley is serving his second term in the Ohio House of Representatives. He represents the 69th House District, which includes most of Medina County.