Forest Hills Street to Be Renamed After Late American Legion Post Commander

Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, D-Forest Hills, will honor the late commander of a local American Legion post with a street renaming ceremony next weekend.  

On June 9, the intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and Ascan Avenue in Forest Hills will be renamed Thomas X. Winberry Way.  
Winberry, who was the commander of the local American Legion Continental Post 1424, joined the Navy at age 19 in 1950 and served in the Korean War.    

Upon his return, he joined the American Legion and was the local chapter’s commander for seven years before eventually becoming the Queens County commander.  

Winberry was a mounted officer for the city’s Police Department and worked for Jamaica’s 103rd Precinct.  

He earned the NYPD’s Medal of Honor after rescuing a swimmer who was drowning in the East River. And he was cited 15 times for acts of courage during his 20 years with the department.  

Winberry was a staunch supporter of veterans rights, traveling across the state to advocate for veterans causes and serving as a spokesman for the preservation of the St. Albans Veterans complex.  

He was also a chief organizer of the annual Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade.  

The street renaming ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. this Sunday at the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Ascan Avenue. It will be led by Koslowitz and members of Winberry’s family.