Thomas Donohue Sr., 72, of Muncy, was buried earlier this month with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

A veteran of the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, his most recent bout was a two-year fight with pancreatic cancer.

Buried at the storied cemetery outside of Washington, D.C., Donohue was fondly remembered by those with whom he served, his son, Tom, and military leaders.

Soldiers in the Army Reserves in Greater Williamsport said he was a soldier who always placed the safety of those under his command and mission above all else.

Peter S. Lennon, Major General (Ret.), U.S. Army and Army Reserve, said Donohue was the consummate professional soldier, leader and mentor.

“He was tireless in his support of the Army, his units and the troops in those units,” Lennon said.

While Donohue could be a no-nonsense disciplinarian, holding his troops to the highest standards, he understood that his mission was to equip young men and women for the challenges of a combat environment, Lennon observed.

“Every once in a while I would catch a sparkle in his eyes when he spoke of a young soldier picking up a new skill or preparing for a potential promotion,” Lennon said.

“The Army and our nation lost a good one and I lost a ‘battle-buddy,'” Lennon remarked.

“By the time I met him he had been to Vietnam and had years of military experience . . . I needed a strong leader when I took command and Tom fit the bill,” said Maj. Jack Evans III.

“He was a family man and a soldier which is emblematic of Army Reserve service,” Evans said.

For those four years, Donohue and Evans talked daily, met weekly and dealt with issues as they came up. Then 1SG Donohue was Evans’ selection to serve as his 1SG at the 442nd Quartermaster Company in Bellefonte.

Evans was the company commander and captain at the time.

He previously served on the staff of the 327th Quartermaster Battalion headquartered in Williamsport where then-Master Sergeant (MSG) Donohue was on staff as a dual status soldier and DA civilian employee.

“One of the more difficult issues involved one of our reserve soldiers being involved with a shooting at Penn State University,” Evans said.

“Tom and I worked hard to bring the soldiers together and work our way through the tragedy, as many of our soldiers were also Penn State students.”

His illustrious military career was marked with numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit Award, the Bronze Star and the distinguished Order of Saint Martin.

When friends were received at his funeral at the Church of the Resurrection in Muncy, his life of military service was shared with all.

Military service in his blood

Born in Munich, Germany, Donohue followed his father’s meritorious footsteps in service to the United States.

His father, James, was an Army warrant officer who served during World War II and the Korean War.

Enlisting in the Army Reserves in 1969, after graduating from high school in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Donohue went to Vietnam, an experience he described in a publication featuring the interviews of the war’s veterans.

“The sergeants and senior non-coms were very good mentors,” Donohue said, not realizing he would eventually be one of those mentors whom soldiers would look up to and depend on.

Donohue acknowledged that he matured during his time in the Vietnam War, coming in “green,” as a private, and wearing an original 1st Corps Support Command patch.

More than 37 years later, as a command sergeant major, he continued to wear the same patch on military assignment in Kuwait.

Donohue said that when he came home on leave between his first and second tours in Vietnam and when he finally was discharged, the first thing he did was change his clothes and kept a low profile.

Sadly, many in America were “anti-war” and mistreated veterans of the era.

Nevertheless, Donohue grew up understanding that taking care of soldiers and meeting the mission were top priorities.

“If there is one thing I can say, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, it is that CSM Donohue will work day and night to make sure soldiers and mission are taken care of,” said Master Sgt. Crystal Michael, in a story by Master Sgt. Michele Hammonds.

In all, Donohue spent a combined 42 years in the military.

Donohue served with the 148th Smoke Generating Co. as squad leader prior to starting his civilian service in 1973. He was an administrative supply technician in Kearney, New Jersey, serving with the 303rd Civil Affairs Group before becoming a section chief.

His service continued with the 484th Service Co. in Lewistown as a platoon sergeant and unit administrative facility manager.

Additionally, Donohue served with the 2090th USAR School as an instructor and in 1987 joined the 327th Corp Support Battalion in Williamsport as a first sergeant and served as command sergeant major for the 327th Quartermaster Battalion.

He carried on his service as Group CSM for 475th Quartermaster Group, 301st Regional Support Group and the 316th Expedition Sustainment Command.

Donohue retired in 2011 as Staff Operation and Training Specialist out of the 327th Corps Support Btl., Williamsport, after 38 years. During that time he was a graduate of Sergeant Major Academy.

A recipient of numerous decorations over his combined 42 years of service, his passing and burial resulted in an outpouring of sentiments from military officials.

“His 42 years in the Army Reserves and 38 years as an Army Civilian are a testament to his patriotism and unwavering commitment to our nation,” wrote Christine E. Wormuth, secretary of the Army, to Donohue’s family.

Lennon awarded Donohue the Legion of Merit. That award is given to members of the Armed Forces without degree for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States.

The performance must merit recognition by individuals in a key position which was performed in a clearly exceptional manner.

“My father dedicated 42 years to the service of this country, impacting countless lives,” said his son, Tom, expressing the family’s honor to remember their father and his unwavering commitment to the safety and prosperity of the nation.

“We’ve shared our dad with this country our entire lives,” his son said.

“He loved the military, whether welcoming home soldiers or being in the trenches, putting his own life at risk.”