Monday, January 2, 2017

Happy Birthday to a 95 Year Old Vet


Happy Birthday to Mr. and Mrs.Thomas Moore!


Tom and his wife Virginia share January 1, as their birthdays. Tom is now a young ninety-five, and his wife is younger, but women don't tell ages...or weight, right? So don't ask!  This picture was taken a few years ago when both were healthier.

Tom always brought coconut cake, much like the one below, to our church potlucks. He loves this cake. He loves our church too, and has always been faithful until a fall last year prevented him from driving any more. Jinny is a member of another denomination, but she supports our church and is always glad to hear from us. 


Tom is a former WWII POW. He spent months in a German camp. He won't talk much about it. I've begged him to let me interview him, but to this day, the memories are too real and painful. The ones he does share are an amazing part of history and how our captured GI's endured horrific treatment.

Once he told me, "when you get hungry enough, you'll eat anything."  Another time he mentioned that he formed a bond with another prisoner and they slept back to back. It was their way of protecting their boots and each other. 

He'd been shot two or three times in the arm. The doctors used toilet paper to wrap his injuries and set bones.  Perhaps that's all the doctors had at their disposal. 

When the time came to relocate the prisoners to another camp, the Germans packed the detainees into a boxcar like sardines. American planes flew over and strafed the train. The pilots had no idea Allied prisoners were on board. Tom said one man started The Lord's Prayer, and they all joined it.

Tom used to go to the VA in Houston every Wednesday. He met with a group of POW's to share experiences. He's now the only one left. He told me that these guys were able to share because they understood what the other had endured. I got the idea that he thought civilians would think harshly of the GI's if they knew the depth and extent of what they did to survive those days.

I hope you'll join me in prayers for this fine couple, and wish them both a happy birthday! And pray for all our military who have too many painful memories to share.


Mr. Tom Moore at church



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