In Service to America, Profile 12: Alan Thomaier, Navy shipfitter, baseball player, Nashua Police Officer, all-around civic-minded person

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Alan Thomaier is not a Nashua native. But after his stint in the US Navy, he made Nashua his “adopted” home town. He was born in Jersey City, NJ, on May 26, 1920. When WWII broke out, Thomaier wanted to enlist in the Navy – but he had some back problems which prevented him from doing so.

Eventually he was accepted and was inducted into the US Navy on April 3, 1944 and after basic training, was assigned to the USS Clytie, a submarine tender based on Mare Island just offshore from San Francisco. At the time, the Clytie was a new ship – launched November 26, 1943 and transferred to the US Navy February 26, 1944. It was placed in temporary commission while it was refitted at Bethlehem Steel in Hoboken, NJ. The ship was fully commissioned January 18, 1945. On February 21, 1945, the Clytie sailed for western Australia where it served as a submarine tender for the 7^th fleet. The war in Europe ended in May, 1945 and in the Pacific in mid-August 1945. Thomaier was discharged from the Navy on May 6, 1946. The USS Clytie was decommissioned on October 5, 1946. So, Thomaier’s Navy career and the ship to which he was assigned followed similar paths.

Thomaier’s Military Occupational Specialty was a shipfitter. For those not familiar with ship-repair parlance, it was his job to “…fabricate, install, repair, and remove structural parts. They use metal, such as high-tensile steel and high yield strength steel, to create parts like plates, bulkheads, and frames. These parts are then put into position for welding or riveting.”

In March 3, 1945, the ship crossed over the equator for the first time. Since the 18^th century, and possibly earlier, sailors turned this event into a ritual celebration, usually and day and night event. Thomaier was presented with a certificate stating that he had crossed the equator for the first time as a sailor. It was signed on the back by several of his shipmates.

Beyond what is stated above, not a lot is known about Thomaier’s Navy service. His daughter, Kathy Peterson, was gracious enough to go through a box of photos, receipts and other paperwork from that period that she saved to see what else could be determined. She said, “We kids were busy with Scouts and sports. He also took the family camping around the northeast every July, with camper and boat in tow too. So, being that busy, we didn’t think to ask questions about Dad’s Navy service.”

She did locate three medals earned by her father: 

1. The American Theater Medal was awarded to members of the United States armed forces who served in the American Theater of Operations during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the medal on November 6, 1942 
2. The Asiatic/Pacific Medal was a military award given to members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II also instituted by Franklin Roosevelt.
3. The Victory Medal was a service medal awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who served on active duty or as a reservist between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946. 

Thomaier’s mother was Irish, his father German. They had four boys and one girl – the boys all served in the military during WWII.

After the Navy, Thomaier played semi-pro baseball. In his baseball career he played for eight different teams. He came to Nashua in 1947 to play an outfield position for the Nashua Dodgers of the New England baseball league. The Nashua Dodgers was a farm club of the Brooklyn Dodgers and is believed to be the first racially-integrated professional baseball team in the country when then-future baseball great, Don Newcomb joined the club. Thomaier was a member of the Association of Professional Ballplayers of America. He earned a salary of $200 per month playing for the Nashua Dodgers.

Roy Campanella, a catcher & powerhouse hitter, played for the Nashua Dodgers for one year only in 1946, then was taken up to the majors. Don Newcombe was upset to be left behind in Nashua for one more year, 1947 and was there when Thomaier showed up to play. Newcomb and Thomaier were roommates when they went on the road.

While in Nashua he met his then-future bride, Julie Papademis. While Thomaier was in Nashua, the romance flourished, and then, he got moved to a team in Virgina. The two stayed in touch; Julie kept sending him boxes of salt water taffy. Thomaier returned to Nashua and the two were married in a Catholic ceremony on April 14, 1951. Years later, on May 7, 1966, the two were re-married in a Greek ceremony. The service was attended by their then-five children.

Seeking steady work, Thomaier worked for the Nashua Gummed and Coated Paper Company and then turned his attention to the Nashua Police Department.  Asked why he gave up his job at the “card shop” to be a police officer Thomaier responded, “I like being outside. It’s clean and healthy, and the work is interesting.” He talked to his friend Don Newcomb about going to Nashua to be a police officer. Newcomb thought about it – but decided he couldn’t give up his $18,000 annual salary playing baseball.

Many times, people are remembered in life for the job they did, or the beliefs they had or maybe for their military service. Alan Thomaier will forever be remembered as a Nashua Police Officer and the three “water rescues” he made in 1956.

The first of three water rescues occurred on March 9, 1956. According to a Nashua Telegraph article appearing the following day, 6-year-old Jeanne Christie was playing near Salmon Brook at the end of Burritt St. and slid into the icy waters when the ice apparently broke. David Giles, 8, of Fulton St., playing in the same area saw the girl go in and ran to the home of Mrs. Adolph Markiel of 3 Brook St. to report the incident. Mrs. Markiel immediately phoned Nashua Police.

The little girl, a first-grader at Crowley School had reportedly walked out on to the ice alone many times.

Patrolman Alan Thomaier was first on the scene. He immediately walked out onto the ice. As he got closer to the hole in the ice, he went face-down on the ice to spread his weight across the surface to avoid falling in himself. He assured the little girl he was going to get her out – and he did.

When asked about his actions that day, the modest officer said, “It’s all in a day’s work. Any Nashua police officer would have done the same thing. I just happened to be the first on the scene.”

Rescue number two was on March 16, 1956. A 5-year-old boy, Henry Verranault, Jr. and his 4-year-old sister, Diane Marie were seen playing close to the mill canal on Ledge St near Stevens Ave. An unidentified women phoned Nashua Police who immediately dispatched Officer Alan Thomaier to the scene. The youngsters were unhurt and taken to their home on 29 Palm St. and warned not to play close to the canal again.

Rescue number three occurred on May 17, 1956. Two youngsters, Robert Roy, 8, and his brother David, 6, of 31 Verona St. were stranded on Salmon Brook in a sinking boat. Their mother, Mrs. Madeline Roy contacted police headquarters at 10:40 a.m. Responding to the call were Chief Joseph Regan, Inspector Ray Wesson, Officers Louis Thibeault, Marcel Bibeau, Irving Cross, and Albert Downey.

Again, Thomaier happened to be the first responding officer at the scene. He jumped into a nearby canoe and paddled out to save the boys. He helped them into the canoe and brought them safely to shore.

By the time the other officers arrived, the incident was over and the boys safe. An ambulance, police boat, and additional cruiser were returned to quarters – not needed. The boys suffered no ill-effects and were none the worse for wear.

During that time, the department was operating on three shifts. Every three months, everyone changed shifts. The good part was, as a police officer, you always worked with the same people no matter what shift you were working. The bad news is, a constantly changing schedule was tough on family life. At the time Thomaier was swapping shifts, his wife, Juie, was working 2^nd shift at Sprague Electric, compounding the issue. The solution, they figured, was for Alan to get a job with more “regular” hours. Thomaier then went to work for the U.S. Post Office. He walked his route for 26 years.

Thomaier was very civic minded and dedicated to his adopted city of Nashua. He was a police officer for six years, involved in many youth-oriented projects in Nashua and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1975. As a veteran, he was active in both the VFW and American Legion.

He served on the Nashua School Board for 14 years. Former teacher Carolyn Marineau noted that Thomaier was the only School Board member to ever take the time to walk through the schools. The rest of them had no idea what we looked like.”

After a long a fruitful life, Alan C. Thomaier, Navy Shipfitter, baseball player, Nashua Police Officer, all-around civic-minded person, and devoted husband and father died peacefully in his sleep on April 26, 2009.

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