Oscar Armstrong III Memorial to be Rededicated by Cincinnati Fire Department

CINCINNATI – Members of Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD) and residents of the community will come together Saturday, Aug. 27 to rededicate the Oscar Armstrong III Memorial.

Armstrong was a CFD firefighter who was killed in the line of duty March 21, 2003 while battling a residence fire on Laidlaw Avenue in Bond Hill. He left behind two children and his fiance, who was pregnant with his third child.

On Saturday, members of Station 9 will be joined by Armstrong’s family, members of CFD, and members of the community to unveil the garden area’s plaque in its newly updated surroundings. The event will begin at 11 a.m. at 4379 Reading Road.

The original memorial was built into the design of the station when it was constructed in 2008. The design included landscaping, a flagpole, and a granite plaque in memory of the fallen firefighter. The memorial was placed near the road, so firefighters and citizens could remember Armstrong’s sacrifice as they passed the station. 

This past spring, Drew Salmons, a Life Scout and son of Captain Steve Salmons of Ladder 23, chose the memorial as his Eagle project. He solicited donations from local businesses to supply all the materials needed to update and improve the memorial area. The younger Salmons then worked with CFD members from Station 9 and Boy Scout Troup 112 to give the memorial area a makeover.

“It means a lot that this young man, who comes from a firefighting family, chose Oscar’s memorial as his project. It has allowed us to come together to beautify this special space and truly never forget our fallen brother,” Captain Michael Cayse of Heavy Rescue 9 said.

Armstrong’s family has remained close with the members of Station 9, occasionally joining his fellow firefighters for meals and staying in touch through milestones in his children’s lives.  Members of the CFD hosted Armstrong's family at Station 9 and attended his son Isaiah’s high school graduation this past spring.