Tap into Bayonne
Bayonne Native and Military Veteran Tom O'Loughlin Honored by US Senate
By Tap Into Bayonne Staff
BAYONNE, NJ - In paying tribute to US military veterans in her state of Mississippi US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith gave special attention to the long service of Bayonne native Tom O’Loughlin.
According to Rebekah Staples, O’Loughlin’s granddaughter, the 94-year-old former resident was born and raised in Bayonne, returning to the city after more than eight years in the army before eventually making his permanent home in Laurel, Mississippi.
In her May 23 statement which has been permanently entered into the Congressional Record Hyde-Smith said:
“When his country called him to war, Tom responded and made his first trip to Mississippi, courtesy of the U.S. Army, for training at Camp Shelby. He deployed to the European Theater where in January 1944 he was captured by the Axis forces and held as prisoner of war for more than a year before liberation. Following the war, Tom served as a guard during the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals. One of the prisoners in his charge was Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess.
Following the Nuremberg Trials, Tom continued serving his country in the Armed Forces, once again serving in combat with the 811th Engineer Aviation Battalion assigned to the Fifth Air Force in Korea. He returned to civilian life in 1952, eventually making his way back to Mississippi. Keeping his Jersey accent and Irish sparkle, Tom made Mississippi his home and married Rachel Pitts, a Southern Belle. They settled down in Laurel, Mississippi, and like many members of the Greatest Generation, Tom dedicated himself to serving his community as a sponsor for those facing addiction. Even now, he calls from his hospital bed to encourage sobriety and offer support to those who still turn to him for help.”
Hyde-Smith concluded her statement by announcing that a United States flag had been flown over the U.S. Capitol in O’Loughlin’s honor.