Title
To Honor, Recognize, and Celebrate Rupert “Twink” Starr on his 100th Birthday
Body
WHEREAS, Rupert “Twink” Starr, a World War II hero and LGBTQ+ activist, celebrates his 100th birthday; and
WHEREAS, an alumnus of Ohio University’s business school and ROTC program, Starr enlisted in voluntary active duty with the Army at the start of World War II; and
WHEREAS, Starr was part of the 106th Infantry during the Battle of the Bulge, where he and his follow soldiers were expected to successfully win the battle for the Allied forces in the Ardennes Region of Belgium; and
WHEREAS, soon after, Starr was promoted to Regimental Personnel Liaison Officer, but soon later was instructed to check in on the 106th and eventually became a prisoner of war after volunteering to sneak past German enemy lines, for which he received a Bronze medal and Combat Infantry Badge for his bravery; and
WHEREAS, after having to endure inhumane conditions for nearly four months as a prisoner of war, Starr was freed and went onto graduate college after deferring before going into the Army; he also met his future partner, Thomas Allan Wingfield in 1954 and spent the following 53 years with him before Allan’s passing; and
WHEREAS, Starr now serves as an LGBTQ+ activist in the Columbus community, as shown through appearing in the documentary, “Courage Under Fire,” and was even honored as the Regimental Personnel Liaison Officer at the 2009 Columbus Pride Parade; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council honors, recognizes, and celebrates the 100th birthday of Rupert “Twink” Starr as he has served his country well and has been a steadfast advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.