Thomas N. Moe
Director
Colonel Tom Moe (US Air Force retired) continued more than 45 years of military and public service when he joined the cabinet of Governor John Kasich on January 10, 2011 as Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services.
Mr. Moe attended Capital University while enlisted in the Naval Reserve. He graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and German earning a regular commission in the Air Force through ROTC. In 1967 he entered advanced training in the F-4 aircraft and was assigned to combat duty in Danang, Vietnam. He flew 85 combat missions, including 60 over North Vietnam.
In 1968 his F-4 Phantom was forced down by a weapon malfunction about 20 miles into enemy territory. Although he was able to evade capture for three days, he was eventually captured and held as a POW for over five years until his release during Operation Homecoming in 1973.
Following his repatriation, Mr. Moe attended the University of Notre Dame earning a Master of Arts Degree in Government and a Soviet and East European Area Studies Certificate. He then returned to flying fighters including the F-4, F-16 and was even checked out in the Navy’s F/A-18. In 1995 he retired after serving 30 years active duty in the Air Force and having served in a number of command and staff positions including commander of a combat-ready fighter squadron and vice commander of the Air Force Logistics Command Office of the Inspector General. He earned 24 awards and decorations including two Silver Stars, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal for valor, two Purple Hearts, and seven Air Medals.
Since that time he has received a number of public service awards, including induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in November 2009 by Governor Ted Strickland. He has also been honored by Capital University, the University of Notre Dame and the Daughters of the American Revolution, among others.
Mr. Moe has served as director of the Ohio Troops to Teachers program for the Ohio Department of Education and was later director of the Fairfield County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. He is an active member of the community of Lancaster, Ohio where he volunteers for numerous service organizations. He is a life member of the VFW (Lancaster Post 1380), AMVETS (Lancaster Post 1985) and the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Lancaster and has served his church in a number of volunteer positions. Mr. Moe was chosen by Senator John McCain to chair “Ohio Veterans for McCain” during the 2008 presidential race. He has also been active in the nonpartisan Ohio Veterans United, which supports veterans who are running for elected office.
Tom Moe and his wife Christine reside in Lancaster. They are the parents of Connie, Erik and Ryan. In August 2010, he donated a kidney to his daughter Connie who was suffering from polycystic kidney disease, and both are fully recovered.