From the OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
A memorial sign dedication ceremony for Ohio State Highway Patrol Patrolman Jon D. Birchem was held on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Swanton Post.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission dedicated a memorial sign on the Ohio Turnpike to Birchem, who was killed in the line of duty more than 58 years ago. Relatives of Birchem were expected to be in attendance.
Birchem was killed after losing control of his vehicle during a pursuit of two speeding vehicles in Wood County. A graduate of the 70th Academy Class, he had been with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for less than a year when he died in the line of duty on February 27, 1967. He was assigned to the Swanton Post on the Ohio Turnpike.
