Officials Remember Fallen Offi cer

By Bob Vosseller

MANCHESTER – Township officials remembered Scott Thompson with a moment of silence during a recent council meeting. He was a member of the police department for 17 years.

“Corporal Thompson suffered a fatal heart attack while working out in the police department gym. He was transported to Community Medical Center where he passed away,” Council President Roxy Conniff said.

She added that Thompson, “previously served with the Seaside Park Police Department, South Toms River Police Department and the Lakehurst Police Department for a combined 12 years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.”

Police Chief Robert Dolan noted later in the

(Officer - See Page 17)

Little League:

Continued From Page 1 lessons, being a team player and to have fun. Team parents function as communicators and organizers for things like schedules, fundraisers, stand coverages, picture day, team information and much more. The Team Mom takes a lot off the shoulders of a manager and coach so they can concentrate on teaching the players.

Kellie McLeod has been part of the League for 18 years. “I really enjoy it. My kids started at the age of 4 years old. I started as a Team Mom, worked my way up to coach and eventually managed a team and was very successful. I think I was the fi rst female manager.”

McLeod added, “we won a championship. Opening Day really went well. I believe it created a community that was extremely enjoyable to be around. We became like a family. Volunteers helped us with everything and I enjoy that part of it. I enjoy what the League offers to my children when it came to friendships and learning.”

The township Little League’s indoor training facility is pretty unique in the area. It opened in August 2010 after three years of hard work by many volunteers along with a lot of support and money from their sponsors.

“This is our 60th year but it is our 30th year on that field,” McLeod added. “I am the representative for District 18. We have one of the nicest facilities. We have a lot of field sponsors we depend upon for the Little League.”

McLeod said she enjoys “watching the children as they come through the League and to watch them grow and it is heartbreaking when you see them leave but they do come back and help as umpires, coach and volunteer.”

As the League doesn’t have a full-time grounds crew, all the coaches prepare the fields prior to games and practices. At the end of games and practices, fields need to be raked, dugouts swept, garbage cans cleaned and all equipment put away.

Resident Billy Cloonan is another League volunteer. “I’ve been there for almost eight years now. My son William is in his fi nal year of Little League. I serve as a player agent for our minor league system. A lot of people were recognized on our opening day celebration. One person that needs to be recognized is Frank Kern.”

Cloonan added that Kern “has been with the league for over 15 years. He’s a board member, player agent and snack stand manager. He works ungodly hours and is always the fi rst one there and the last one to leave and is never late.”

“He was a manager for years and his team finished in second place multiple times until fi nally winning states his last year coaching,” Cloonan said.

Fundraising has been important to the League over its six-decade history. Fundraisers offset the cost of running the League and proceeds from specific fundraisers pay for a portion of the League’s mortgage on the ITF.

Each coach is required by Little League to pass a criminal background check that is run free of charge. This process takes place in March. This season each League coach was required to attend a mandatory safety meeting at the ITF.

Working the snack concession is also important and for each home game, a Team Mom has to schedule one parent from their team to help work in the Snack stand for the length of that game. It works out where a parent only has to do this one time per season.

The League covers Manchester, Lakehurst, and Lakewood. A child must reside within this boundary to be eligible for All-Star teams. A child may play within the Manchester Little League who resides outside of this boundary, but will not be eligible for an All-Star team. In addition, a child living outside of these boundaries wishing to play with the League must be approved by Little League, Inc.

For further information about the Manchester Township Little League call 732341-8320, email manchesterlittleleague@ comcast.net or visit manchesterbaseball. net/.

Hindenburg: Continued From Page 1

“Most people today don’t even know he existed,” Larsen told The Manchester Times.

Hagaman was born in 1885 and was 52 in 1937, Larsen said. He was married and had been a resident of Lakehurst from about 1910. His home was located on Cedar Street and he had lost his business on Union Street, the town’s main street. During the 1930s, he and several of his relatives and friends had turned to the nearby U.S. Naval Air Station Lakehurst for employment.

On May 6, 1937, he was paid a dollar and a ham sandwich to be among the landing line crew to secure the Hindenburg. The morning of May 6 had dawned bleak and stormy; not much of a day to spend at Naval Air Station Lakehurst awaiting the Hindenburg. For Hagaman however, “it at least promised to be profitable, if you consider a one dollar a day’s salary, issued with a wooden nickel to turn in for a ham sandwich, profitable,” Larsen said.

He knew a dollar in those rough fi nancial times could buy quite a bit, and since he had no other promise of income that day, he decided to help haul in a big balloon and get paid for it. Following his quick meal, he left for the base and met up with three of his buddies and workmates with whom he’d assist the landing line crew in moving the Hindenburg to a nose-docking of the craft. His team was supposed to secure the lower tail fi n to the stern mooring car, thus anchoring the tail of the craft. However, by 5:30 p.m., there was no sign of the Hindenburg. It was raining intermittently, and the ground crew, 240 strong, were getting wet in the landing field waiting for the airship.

Upon arrival over Lakehurst, the ship’s commander, Captain Max Pruss, was told he would not be cleared to land due to thunderstorms in the area. He was advised of a possible break in the weather, and it looked like there might be a landing “window” at about 7 p.m., four hours later. Pruss then decided to take his airship south to Cape May, turn and head north, giving his passengers an aerial tour of the beautiful Jersey Shore.

Around 7 p.m. the Hindenburg was sighted approaching the landing zone from the southwest. It slowed to a hover at 200 feet over the landing line crew, with its back engines turning just enough to keep it stationary against the swirling winds, Larsen said.

Hagaman and his group got to work moving the stern mooring car to ensure it would be ready to accept the airship’s tail when it was drawn in. At about 7:20 p.m., mooring lines were dropped from the nose of the ship, and the landing line crew began walking the ship to the mooring mast, a mobile tower to which the nose of the airship would be affi xed, rendering it secure.

Four minutes after the landing lines touched the ground, the Hindenburg suddenly burst into flames at the top of the fuselage just forward of the tail fi n.

The reports of the disaster announced that the fatalities numbered 36: 22 Hindenburg crew members, 13 passengers, and one ground-based linesman, Allen Hagaman. His body, pinned under the wreckage and severely burned, was later identified by his comrades and other members of the ground crew.

After the sensationalism of the crash wore off Hagaman’s name soon slipped into obscurity, suffering much of the same fate as so many others lost in tragic circumstances over the years.

Due to the efforts of historians, history buffs and organizations like the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society, Hagaman’s memory has not been forgotten.

He is fondly remembered by his descendants who have visited the memorial site and given information to the NLHS. This information is included in the narration made to visitors who come out to the museum in Hanger One that once housed the Hindenburg and the site outside where the tragedy took place.

Larsen noted that the NLHS will once again be coordinating an anniversary service for the Hindenburg tragedy on May 6 at that site. The organization was recently awarded $850 as part of an Ocean County Tourism grant for their marketing program.

The group encourages the public to visit their museum and take a tour of this historical site and walk back through time. Those who wish to take a tour must pre-register by calling 732- 600-8055 or e-mail tours@ nlhs.com

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