GIBSON COUNTY, Ind. (WEHT) He quit school at 15 and almost lost his life fighting in World War I. Now, Aaron Richard Fisher has been immortalized in his Gibson County town.
Lyles Station Historical School and Museum unveiled a historical marker to honor him this afternoon.
Fisher was born on a farm in Lyles Station, Indiana and went on to become one of the most decorated African American soldiers from Indiana.
“They say this one time, he came down the street down here and his jacket was lopsided because of all the medals he had accomplished,” said Stanley Madison. President and Founder of Lyles Station Historical Preservation Corporation.
He received the Distinguished Service Cross Award, which is the second highest military honor.
“The award is prestigious and rarely given,” said Dr. Randy Mills, Professor/Journal of the Liberal Arts and Science Editor at Oakland City University.
According to Dr. Mills, only four other people in Gibson County have the award. This is just one of the reasons why the Lyles Station Historical School and Museum created the marker. It is the fifth marker in Gibson County. It comes 20 years after the same museum dedicated the first historical marker in Gibson County.
Hoosiers from hundreds of miles away came. Elizabeth Mitchell is from Bloomington and has been to the site several times.
“This is one way to honor the community and it was important for me to be here and to bring my grandson, whom I am trying to teach about the contributions of African Americans to this nation,” Mitchell said.
The Mayor of Princeton, Greg Wright, says he wants the marker to honor Fisher’s legacy for years to come and hopes the community learns from it.
“A lot of us has seen those in different cities and a lot of them are in our area. You learn something and say man I never knew that happened here,” Mayor Wright said.
