Thomas Charles Struth

Graveside services with full military honors will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at the Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Haughton, Louisiana

Tom was born November 12, 1913 to Glen Thomas and Ruby Pearl (Perry) Struth in Novinger Missouri. He graduated from Centralia High School in Centralia Missouri at the age of 16. Tom joined the Army Air Corp in 1932 and then switched into the United States Air Force (USAF). He loved the military and served 32 years of active military service. He served in both World War II and the Korean War. He served in the Coast Artillery on Corregidor (the rock) in the South Pacific campaign during World War II. There were numerous other places during that war that he served, including Sicily, North Africa, Australia, and Britain just to name a few. When switching to the USAF he became a radio technician on B-17’s and travelled the world. One of his favorite sayings was that if you spin the globe and put your finger down he has been there, on, above, or around that same spot.

MSGT Struth retired from the USAF in August of 1962. After retiring from active duty he served several more years in the Civil Service at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, Louisiana. Tom met and fell in love with his wife, Clara and her three children at Selfridge AFB in Mt. Clements MI. Tom and Clara were married in 1941 and had one child together, Ruby Josephine. Tom and Clara were married for 59 years before Clara died in 2000. Most of their time was spent in Bossier City Louisiana. Tom was a lifetime member of VFW post 5951 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Tom loved to hunt small game. And loved to fish both with and without a pole from his childhood until his passing. Even at 101 all you had to do was mention either hunting or fishing and he would just smile like he was still walking in the woods or sitting next to a lake. The few things he loved besides these were children, dogs, and a chocolate shake.

Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Clara; daughter, Ruby Jo Gielow; step-children, Richard Nell and Meredith Rawls.

He is survived by his stepson, Phillip Nell; grandchildren, Don Wren, Charles Gielow, Susan Nelson, Judy McKnight, Debbie Dooley, Vicky Martin, Allen Rawls, Connie Boyles, Jennifer Moffett and Timothy Nell; eleven great grandchildren; and three great-great grandchild.

Alaskan arrangements were cared for by the Anchorage Funeral Home. Please visit Tom’s obituary and online guestbook at www.AlaskanFuneral.com