Retired Army Colonel Thomas J. O'Donohue was born on October 1, 1918 in New York City as World War I was coming to a close and he was drafted into the Army 59 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His father, Michael, served in the Army in Texas during the border action against Pancho Villa, and later was a member of the New York 69th Infantry Regiment. His five brothers all served in the military, most seeing World War II action in the South Pacific.
Col. O'Donohue, who had more than 32 years of military service, entered the Army in February 1942 from New York City. He was commissioned in Anti-Aircraft Artillery in 1943 and, in Europe, was assigned to a combat element of the First U.S. Army. His unit, among other actions, took part in the Battle of the Bulge, participating with artillery and infantry units in holding the Elsenborn Ridge in Belgium as German SS Panzer units streamed west towards Bastogne. He was with one of the first Anti-Aircraft battalions to cross and defend the Remagen Bridge against the new German jet aircraft; subsequently ending up deep in Germany as the war ended.
In July 1945, he was appointed Transportation Chief for the Is Field Command, Graves Registration. This command, operating out of occupied Germany, was responsible for recovering military deceased from Germany and Middle Europe and transporting the remains to Margraten, Holland for internment or return to the families at home. During the Korean War, he was the Deputy Commander of a transportation truck battalion hauling ammunition and supplies to the front line units including the 1st U.S. Marine Division. Col. O'Donohue exercised traffic control from Bell HI3 helicopters - - "tree top management" in its early stages.
His military career also included assignments in Tokyo, Washington D.C. (Pentagon), France, Germany, and again in Korea. In Korea, Col. O'Donohue was a Group and Terminal Commander responsible for all transportation operations in Port, Rail and Truck units supporting the Eighth U.S. Army, as well as commanding the Pusan Base Command. He was then posted to Headquarters Military Assistance Command Vietnam as the Senior Logistics Advisor to the Logistics Chief of the Army of South Vietnam. Bolstering the logistics posture of the South Vietnamese military was a slow, tedious operation -- in the end, all for naught.
In July 1945, he was appointed Transportation Chief for the Is Field Command, Graves Registration. This command, operating out of occupied Germany, was responsible for recovering military deceased from Germany and Middle Europe and transporting the remains to Margraten, Holland for internment or return to the families at home. During the Korean War, he was the Deputy Commander of a transportation truck battalion hauling ammunition and supplies to the front line units including the 1st U.S. Marine Division. Col. O'Donohue exercised traffic control from Bell HI3 helicopters - - "tree top management" in its early stages.
His military career also included assignments in Tokyo, Washington D.C. (Pentagon), France, Germany, and again in Korea. In Korea, Col. O'Donohue was a Group and Terminal Commander responsible for all transportation operations in Port, Rail and Truck units supporting the Eighth U.S. Army, as well as commanding the Pusan Base Command. He was then posted to Headquarters Military Assistance Command Vietnam as the Senior Logistics Advisor to the Logistics Chief of the Army of South Vietnam. Bolstering the logistics posture of the South Vietnamese military was a slow, tedious operation -- in the end, all for naught.