QUEENS — A Councilwoman will help rename a Forest Hills street this Sunday after an heroic 20-year NYPD veteran, who was cited by the Police Department more than 15 times for acts of courage.
Thomas Winberry, who died in 2011 at the age of 78, was also a Korean War veteran and a community leader who advocated for veterans rights.
During the ceremony, the intersection of Metropolitan and Ascan avenues will be named the “Thomas X. Winberry Way,” the office of Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz said.
Winberry was awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor for helping rescue a swimmer who was drowning in the East River.
He also advocated for veterans rights and for the preservation of the St. Albans Veterans' home and helped organize events such as the Memorial Day Parade and Annual Turkey Giveaway in Forest Hills, where he moved after the Korean War, according to Koslowitz.
“If there was one person that defined public service, Tom Winberry would be it,” Koslowitz said. “As an activist, veteran, and decorated officer, Tom was a staple figure in the community (…).”
Winberry joined the Navy in 1950 and served in the Korean War when he was 19. After joining the NYPD, he became a mounted officer and worked at the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica.
He later became the Commander of the American Legion Continental Post 1424 in Forest Hills and joined the American Legion, serving as the chapters’ Commander for 7 years and eventually becoming the Queens County Commander.
The ceremony will take place on Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m.
