Page 36 - June Banner 2018_Neat

Page 36 June 2018
Our Neighborhood Veterans
S p e c i a l i S t 4 t h c l a S S
t h o m a S e u g e n e J oy
173rd Airborne Brigade
Tom Joy was born on December
5, 1948, at Annie M Warner Hospital
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to
Austin L. and Catherine E. (Walter)
Joy, and was taken home to live
with them on East Main Street in
Emmitsburg. Tom is the youngest
member of his family, having five
sisters and two brothers. Tom and
his siblings went to St. Euphemia’s
Elementary School and went on to
graduate from St. Joseph’s High
School. Baseball was Tom’s favorite
sport, and he loved playing the game.
He also played basketball while
attending high school. He enjoyed
fishing and hunting (ask him about
chicken hunting) with the friends he
went to school with—Terry Myers,
Mike Orndorff, John Sherwin, and
Eddie Pryor—and he still hunts and
fishes with most of them. Tom, Terry,
Mike, Eddie, and a few other friends
and classmates went to Trenton,
New Jersey, over Christmas vacation
one year to some classes to see what
it would be like to become a priest.
While there, they attended a party
and met some girls, thereby deciding
to forget the priesthood and go for
the girls and fun, instead. Tom also
liked doing donuts in a Volkswagen
at the old carnival grounds and
hitting phone poles; however, he
could never fool his dad with his
faulty explanations of why the dents
were in the VW. Tom, like so many
Emmitsburgians, worked at Mount
St. Mary’s College (not yet co-ed or
a University at that time), washing
pots and pans while attending high
school.
Tom joined the U.S. Army while
in high school and wasn’t to report
until July of 1967. Yet, shortly after
graduating high school in 1967, his
recruiting officer contacted him and
asked him to report early in June
because they didn’t have enough
numbers for that month. Tom agreed
to report early. Tom and his friend,
The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
by Jim Houck, Jr.
Eddie Pryor, left at the same time
for basic training to Fort Bragg, and
from there to Fort Ord for military
police training, and then on to Fort
Benning, Georgia, for jump school Pictured from left are Jim Houck, Jr., Ruth (Tom’s wife), and Tom Joy. Tom won the
and paratrooper training. He made AMVET of the Year Award, Ruth won the AMVET Auxiliary Member of the Year Award, and
Jim Houck, Jr. won the AMVET Son of the Year Award.
five jumps while there. Tom was
sent to the southern part of Vietnam was honorably discharged from the of volunteer time at St. Catherine’s
after his training was completed army in 1970. Nursing Center in Emmitsburg
as a military policeman. He was He met Ruth (his soul mate and at Martinsburg W.V. Veterans
assigned to help guard prisoners of and wife) and they started dating. Administration. He is also a social
war. Tom said if you heard the bang One day, they were in Thurmont, member of the Vigilant Hose
and the whoosh whoosh whoosh and Tom said he was hungry. So, Company in Emmitsburg. Tom and
sound, it meant outgoing mortar, he parked in front of Charlie and Ruth’s children and grandchildren—
but if you heard whoosh whoosh Pete Angel’s Sweet Shop. He asked Samantha Star, Nicholas Scott, and
whoosh, find cover fast in a bunker Ruth to hold out her hand. She Mathew Jacob—all live nearby, and
before the bang because that meant thought he was giving her a ring, they enjoy family functions together.
it was incoming. When he first got but he handcuffed her to the steering I have been told when you go to a
to Vietnam, he was assigned to a wheel—as a joke—while he went ball game, everywhere you look,
tact corporation center that was in and ate. She thought they were there are Joys filling the seats. Tom
a big area with wire all around it. toy handcuffs and tried to pull out loves a good joke, but when it comes
If any dignitaries were there, they of them. But the harder she pulled, to volunteering and helping Veterans,
were in this one hooch. If there was the tighter they got since they were he is dead serious. I hope you have
incoming fire, he went in and woke his MP cuffs. By the time Tom came had as much joy reading this article
the dignitaries to get them into a out of the Sweet Shop, they were as I had in writing this article. I wish
bunker, so no harm came to them. causing Ruth a lot of pain, and she Tom and the entire Joy family a
On his first night on watch, sure was so mad at him. Despite the happy and fulfilling future.
enough, incoming fire started coming tricks he pulled on her, Tom and
in, so Tom went to the hooch. It Ruth were married, and have two
was pitch black in there, and he felt beautiful daughters: Lisa (born on Note: This column that I wrote
around but someone was in the cot, Tom’s birthday) and Tina. Tom and about Tom was originally published
so he hurried to get the heck out of Ruth lived above Green’s Bakery in The Catoctin Banner in August
there and find a bunker for himself. on West Main Street in Emmitsburg of 2012. Tom hasn’t changed much,
In his next bunker, he felt around for by the dough boy when they first except for getting a little older and
hand grenades and shells. When he got married. A few years later, they being elected as Post 7 AMVETS
discovered that he had jumped into moved to Emmit Gardens, where Commander. Wait a minute…
an ammo bunker, he said it didn’t they still reside today. Tom went to there was the time in 2014 when
take him long to get out of there. work for Moore Business Forms after Tom and his wife, Ruth, were
Tom recalls a time he got into hot he was discharged from the Army. both voted in as AMVETS of the
water because he didn’t shave, even He retired from there in May of Year! Tom is still very active with
though not shaving was allowed. 1997, after thirty-six years of service. Post participation and volunteer
His CO told him he was an MP, and He is enjoying every minute of his work for the Veterans and the
he wanted him to shave every day retirement. community. Folks, if you meet Tom
and to report to him after duty. Tom Tom is a life member of the on the street or at the grocery store
did, and the CO said to get a shovel VFW and the AMVETS and Post or in a restaurant (Tom hangs out
and dig a 6 x 6 x 6 hole. He dug the Commander of the AMVETS Post 7 at Post 7 AMVETS, a lot ), please
hole and the CO came to inspect Thurmont, as well as a member of say hello, shake his hand, and
it. He said Tom did a nice job, then Post 7’s Honor Guard. Tom plays a thank him for all he does. Tom Joy
told him to fill it back in. With that part in most of the functions. He also is a Veteran and a “great human
punishment, Tom learned his lesson belongs to Post 121 The American being,” and I am so proud to call
and shaved every day thereafter. Tom Legion Emmitsburg. Tom does a lot him a friend.