Ret. Capt. Thomas F. Gaffney
AIKEN – Thomas (Tom) Francis Gaffney, age 93, of Aiken, S.C. handed away on December 28, 2022 at residence attended by his beloved spouse, Carolyn Gaffney. Tom was born on June 28, 1929 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Thomas Gaffney and Florence (nee Sylva) Gaffney. Tom’s father was within the navy and the household moved to California when Tom was very younger. He grew up in Marin County, California and graduated in 1945 from Tamalpais Excessive Faculty in Sausalito, California.
In 1945, on the age of 16, Tom joined the U.S Army and spent the following twenty years touring the world – serving in Japan, Germany, the Center East, and Southeast Asia. He served 24 years on energetic obligation and retired to Augusta, Georgia in 1969.
With 12 Marketing campaign Stars, his service report reads like a compendium of U.S navy hotspots – experiencing fight in Korea, Laos, and Vietnam and lesser identified conflicts in Lebanon and the Dominican Republic. As an Airborne trooper, his service awards embody: three Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, three Air Medals, and 6 Army Commendation Medals. Tom spent 5 years within the U.S. Special Forces together with many missions abroad, a few of that are nonetheless categorised. Later, Tom served as a member of the Special Forces Workforce honor guard for President John F. Kennedy.
In a profession filled with achievements, presumably essentially the most notable was throughout his second tour of obligation within the Korean Warfare when his platoon chief was wounded in motion and it fell to Tom to instantly take command. Tom rallied the troops, together with others in retreat, and held the place from being overrun by the advancing enemy. For Tom’s excellent motion, Brigadier Common Westmoreland, commander of the 187th Airborne Regimental Fight Workforce, awarded Tom a Battlefield Fee. It was not till 1967 that Tom’s Reserve Fee was activated and he was appointed Captain and Commander of Alpha Firm third 506th Airborne Infantry (one hundred and first Airborne Division) with whom he served by means of main missions in Vietnam, together with the 1968 Tet Counteroffensive.
After leaving the navy, Tom attended Augusta State College and earned his Bachelor’s Diploma in Accounting. That launched a second profession in civil service within the monetary sectors of Veterans Administration Hospitals in Miami, Charleston, and Augusta. He served the final years of his 23 12 months civil service profession because the Chief Monetary Officer for the 2 Veterans Administration Hospitals in Augusta, Georgia.
In retirement, Tom loved touring along with his pretty spouse, Carolyn, and {golfing} with buddies at Woodside Plantation Nation Membership and with the Aiken Seniors. Giving again to the group, Tom used his experience in accounting to finish annual earnings taxes for the underprivileged in Aiken. He was a parishioner of St. Mary Assist of Christians Catholic Church in Aiken, SC.
Along with his spouse, Tom is survived by 3 daughters, Susan Gaffney Trueblood of Martinez, GA, Debra Bailey of Columbia, SC & Daybreak (George) Anderson of Denton, Texas; 2 sons, Timothy John (Jocelyn) Gaffney of Phoenix, AZ & Chris Fussell of Denton, TX; 7 grandchildren, Timette (Kyle) Nevala, Nicole Trueblood, Daniel (Camille) Trueblood, McKenna Gaffney, Savannah Gaffney, Lauren Bailey and Neal Anderson; 5 great-grandchildren.
Along with his mother and father, Tom was pre-deceased by a son, Daniel Thomas Gaffney and two brothers, Michael Gaffney & Lawrence Gaffney.
A Requiem Mass will likely be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 10:00am within the sanctuary of St. Mary Assist of Christian Church, 203 Park Ave, SW, Aiken, SC 29801 with Rev. Orlando Serrano Ardila as celebrant.
Interment providers with full navy honors will happen at 2:00p.m. on Tuesday , January 3, 2022 at Fort Jackson Nationwide Cemetery, 4170 Percival Rd, Columbia, SC 29229.
For these unable to attend in particular person, the Mass together with the Interment service with full Army Honors will likely be livestreamed on the official George Funeral House & Cremation Middle Face E-book web page (Fb.com/GFHCC) starting at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The household will obtain buddies on Monday, January 2, 2023 from 5:00pm till 7:00p.m. on the Historic George Funeral House & Cremation Middle, 211 Park Ave SW, Aiken, SC 29801. (803) 649.6234
In lieu of flowers, memorials could also be made to the Wounded Warriors Venture, Publish Workplace Field 758516, Topeka, Kansas, 66675-8516 or to St. Jude’s Kids Analysis Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105
As a soldier, husband, and father, Tom Gaffney lived his life in service to his nation, household, and fellow U.S. Veterans. Tom leaves us with a legacy of life-long friendships, a loving spouse, a proud household, and an instance of service and dedication for us all.
On-line expressions of sympathy for the household could also be left by visiting www.georgefuneralhomes.com
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Revealed by Aiken Commonplace and North Augusta Star from Jan. 1 to Jan. 11, 2023.
