Major Loring remembered in book

    The namesake of the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone hasn’t been forgotten.
    Major Charles Joseph Loring, Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient who deliberately crashed his damaged aircraft into enemy gun emplacements near Sniper Ridge in Korea, is just one of 524 military heroes profiled in a recently-published book, “In Their Honor: The Men Behind the Names of Our Military Installations.”     With a foreword written by retired USAF Major General Edward J. Mechenbier, “In Their Honor” is a collection of biographies that gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of military heroes from privates to generals, aviation pioneers, prisoners of war, civilians, astronauts, and explorers and scientists who either gave their lives for our country or in some way made a major contribution to our nation.
    The well-organized book is the result of six years of extensive research to find the story behind every man who ever had a military installation named in his honor. Author, Linda D. Swink, an Air Force veteran, said that many names have faded into obscurity after a military installation closed. Once no longer needed, many airfields were abandoned and much of their history lost. Little or no biographical information about the man for whom the installation was named survived.
    “My intention is to honor theses men and keep their memory alive in the hearts of today’s generation, as well as those in the future,” said Swink.
    Swink’s book is available from the publisher, Little Miami Publishing Co., Milford, Ohio, and at www.littlemiamibooks.com.