Thomas Cashen is sworn in as a commissioner for the Ottawa County Veterans Service Commission. (Submitted photo)

OAK HARBOR – On Jan. 14, the Honorable Judge Bruce Winters swore in Thomas Cashen, appointing him as a commissioner representing the American Legion on the Ottawa County Veterans Service Commission. This will begin Cashen’s third full term. He began representing the American Legion in January, 2014, completing the last year of a previous commissioner’s term. Throughout his eleven-year tenure, he has been instrumental in approving nearly one million dollars in emergency financial assistance to over eight hundred veterans of Ottawa County, as well as their family members. As a strong advocate of the veterans, he has been actively involved in the celebration of county veterans’ accomplishments and in the commemoration of their sacrifices. Cashen is a Persian Gulf veteran who served honorably in the U. S. Navy.