Lancaster Eagle-Gazette du lieu suivant : Lancaster, Ohio • Page A3

LancasterEagle-Gazette 3A OhioDepartmentof VeteransServicesDirectorThomasN. MoewillretireJuly22after46years servinghisstateandnation.Hewasap- pointeddirectoroftheagencyin2010 followingtheelectionofGov.John Kasich. Moesaidhehadreachedapoint wherehewantedtospendmoretime timeworkingwiththeveteransaround thestate. theprioritiesofmyfamilywiththevet- eransacrossthestateandIfinally reachedapointwhereIwantedtospend said. Heplanstotravelmoreandtospend moretimeonhisfarmjustoutside Lancaster.

inetoverthepasttwo-and-a-halfyears steppingoutofretirementatthebegin- ningofmyadministrationwhenIasked himtoleadDVS.HeisatrueAmerican heroandwewerefortunatetohavehim onourteamaslongaswedid.Iwishhim OneofthethingsMoesaidhewas proudofduringhisserviceasthe veteranservicesdirectorwasthe DepartmentofDefenseandtheVeter- ansAdministration. Anotherprogramthatisabouttobe launchedacrossthecountryisaninfor- mation-sharingprogramwiththeDe- partmentofDefensethateventuallywill allowstatestoknowwhoisbeingdis- chargedfrommilitaryserviceandre- turningtotheirhomestate. andAirForceveteranwhowasaprison- erofwarafterbeingcapturedinViet- namandwasinthePOWcampknownas theHanoiHilton. Moeevadedcaptureforthreedaysin January1968beforebeingdiscovered andwasdetainedasaprisonerofwarfor morethanfiveyearsinNorthVietnam. OperationHomecomingin1973.

tinuedhisserviceintheU.S.AirForce untilhisretirementin1995.Overthe anddecorationsforhismilitaryandpub- MedalforValor. Moehasbeeninvolvedinmanylocal civicactivitiesandorganizations. hasservedasamemberoftheAlumni BureauFederationandamemberofthe OhioEmergencyManagementAgency LogisticsTacticalCommittee. MoealsowasthedirectoroftheFair- fieldCountyOfficeofEmergencyMan- agementandHomelandSecurityfrom 2003to2006. Moepreviouslywasinductedintothe OhioVeteransHallofFameandthisyear wasinductedintotheOhioMilitaryHall ofFameforValor.

withveteransfromWorldWarIItothe 740-681-4346 Ohioveteranservicesdirectortostepdown ByCarlBurnettJr. TheEagle-GazetteStaff RetiredAirForceCol.ThomasMoetalksto LancasterVFWPost1380in2010afterbeing nameddirectoroftheOhioDepartmentof VeteransServices. EAGLE-GAZETTEFILEPHOTO privilegetohaveaplaneseatnexttoJim ashesetofftovisitEnglandforthefirst Adifficultjourney Nothingwaseasyaboutthattripfrom ColumbustoJohnF.KennedyInterna- HeathrowAirport. Theflightalreadyhadbeendelayed byaboutanhourwhenJimPinkerton, downinthecommuterjet.Heworea Heartlogo.BecauseIhadanunclewho versationwithhimandsoonlearnedhe edtoseewherehisbrotherhadbeenbur- ied.RoberthadbeensenttoEurope,but cificTheater.Jimwaswoundedinthe upperthighinthePhilippinesand shippedhometorecuperate.Bythetime abarinSpringfieldforawhileandhad threesons.Now,at87yearsold,hewas readytomakethetriphealwaysplanned tomake.Hiswife,Barbara,haddiedthe previousyear.Itwastime. spendinEngland.Andthatwastheend bridgeandgohome.Therewasnohotel waslaser-focusedonhismission.

memory.Althoughhecould,anddid,re- counttalesofhisinjuryandotherwar passport.Heaskedmetowritemyname andphonenumberinhisaddressbook.I didbeforeheaskedmetwomoretimes. Hisgoalandhislong-termmemories troublerememberingdetailsofhistrip. leftColumbusbecauseofamechanical problem.Icalledaheadtotrytomake somearrangementforthismanIbarely knew.Igotasfarasfindingthenameofa hotelbeforetheycalledourflightagain. firstconnection(andafter90minuteson missingoursecond). PinkertonandIrushedasfastaswe could.Thiswasprobablymybiggest contributiontohiseffort.JFKwasa switchterminals.Hewashavingtrouble rememberingthegateandmakingthe walkquicklyenough.Intheend,we spare.

ThelastIsawJimPinkertonthatday hewastalkingtoaBritishcustoms shouldbeallowedintothecountry.For knownow. Abigimpression tovisittheCambridgeAmericanCeme- tery. ideatherewasacemeterydedicatedto AmericansoldiersinEngland.Andeven itwaslikeanyothercemetery. Iwaswrong. Theonlinebrochureshowedthatthis rial.Thepicturesremindedmeofim- agesfromthePunchbowlcemeteryin Honolulu.Ilearnedthatthiscemetery wasdedicatedtoAmericansoldierswho takenafterhavingbeenkilledinmain- landEurope.Morethan3,800ofhisfel- lowAmericansoldiersareburiedthere withRobertPinkerton.Amammothwall icanswhonevercamehomeoverlooks thegraveyard.

Pinkertonhadmadethatstrongofanim- pressiononme.I’dneverforgottenhis thatiftherewasmorethanonePinker- bytheplace.Thousandsofheadstones, mostofthemcrossesbutsomebearing itaryprecisioninsweepingarcs.Ahuge chapelsitsattheleftendofamemorial walleverybitasimpressiveastheViet- namVeteransMemorial.Thenameson thewallbounceoffareflectingpoolin frontofit. Andveryfewpeoplewerethere. notmanyAmericansmakeittothese cemeteries.MichaelGreencanattestto thataswellasanyone. servedasasuperintendentatcemeter- yearMarineCorpsveteranwhoretired edtherestofhiscareertomakingsure ten.Itishewhoproudlyremindsanyone whowilllistenthatthesemenarestillon AcemeterylikeCambridgeaverages said.Mostofthemaren’tfamilymem- nameisonthememorialwall.Greenhas workedatcemeteriesinEngland, aboutthem. ImetGreenwithasimple-enoughre- AndItoldhimaboutmeetingaWorld WarIIveteranonaplanetwoyearsearli- problemthatmadehistripchallenging.

heasked. Thekindnessofstrangers JimPinkertonwasnotdeterredbya vincetheagent.Iworriedthathewould justminutesbeforehegottotheagent. ined.Hethenwalkedoutside,andde- Greentoldmetherestofthestory. Thecabdriverstartedthemeterwhen itoffevenwhenPinkertonsaidhewant- edtoseehisbrotherinCambridge.Off HeathrowpickupareawestofLondonto farethataddeduptoabout400pounds, tonmetMichaelGreen. Greendidwhathedoesforeveryone whocomestothecemeterylookingfora relative.HetookJimPinkertonanda headstone.Theyrubbedthesand,from makingthelettersstandoutinamore readableway.Theyplacedflagsatthe stonewithanembracethatshowedhow thoughthiswaspartofhisneedtolethis buthestillhadaproblem.Hewasina histripfundseverelydepletedbythe cabride.Hehadtwoweekstowaitto catchareturnflight.

driver.Thecabdriverofferedtotake PinkertonbacktoLondonforfree. cabbackanyway.I’mnotgoingtocharge gotareturnflighttotheU.S.linedupfor thenextday.Thecabdriverthenen- suredthehotelstaffwouldwakePinker- tonintimeforhisflight.Heevenfound outhowtocontactPinkertonintheU.S. andverifiedthathegotbacktotheU.S. AndthenGreenwroteaboutit.The storywaspublishedinEnglandsoonaf- edtohelpwinthewarandgobackand Heseespeoplecometohiscemeter- pressionthatJimPinkertondid.That’s whyheknewimmediatelywhoImeant, Alastingmemory inSpringfield. Hedistinctlyremembersseeinghis althoughtheparticularsarefuzzy.He mynamewrittendowninhislittlead- dressbook.Herememberedthestaffat herememberedthelongcabride.He alsorememberedstillhavingmoneyleft prisedhim.

IshowedhimapictureItookinEng- withaheartylaugh. yearsolderandbothwereinjuredat aboutthesametime.Jim,anairborne sideringheparachutedintoanareaand markable.HehasaPurpleHeart. RobertwaswoundedinApril1945.He sufferedabrokenspineandotherbro- months. rememberhisdeterminationthatdayon theairplanethatnothingwouldstophim fromachievingthatmission. neverreallyaskedforit.

thewarbroughthimtoEnglandwitha pocketfulofmoneyandnotsurewhatto do.Whenhegottheguidance,hewenton Missionaccomplished. JimSabinisthemanagingeditorofthe Englandbothtimestovisitrelatives. eaglegazette.com 740-681-4344 Brother ContinuedfromPage1A RowsofheadstonesfillthegroundsinfrontofthechapelandmemorialbuildingatCambridgeAmericanCemeteryinEngland. AMERICAN BATTLEMONUMENTSCOMMISSION JimPinkertonstandsnexttohisbrother CemeteryinEnglandinthis2011 photograph. SUBMITTEDBYMICHAELGREEN.