Thomas Francis O’Dea, Jr. – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

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2 January 1969 – Army Lieutenant Colonel Thomas F. O’Dea, Jr. knew what it was like to be fighting a war thousands of miles away from home on Christmas Day – the loneliness, longing, and fear.

He was a career soldier, and Christmas found him him acting as military adviser in Tay Hinh province northwest of Saigon.

That morning he climbed into a helicopter to fly over the province and wish his men a Merry Christmas.

It was his last mission.  He was killed when the Viet Cong shot his helicopter down.  He was 42.

Lieutenant Colonel O’Dea of 10120 Morgan Street, Chicago, left a wife, Roberta; and four children, Thomas 18; Cynthia 15; Thereas, 12, and Sandra 8.

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“The day after Christmaswe received a tape recording from him,” Mrs. O’Dea said.  “He told the children to help me and to make him proud of them by continuing to get good marks in school”

He also was looking forward to being reunited with his family when his tour of duty in Vietnam was over in September, she said.

“He said it would be a brighter Christmas next year when we could wish each other a Merry Christmas personally,” she said.

To make the holiday season a little happier for him the family sent a small Chritmas Tree and decorations.  “In his last letter, which I received December 21, he told us how much he had enjoyed it,” Mrs. O’Dea said.

Lietuenant Colonel O’Dea attended Loyola University after srving in the Navy in World War II. After joining the Army, he completed collegeat the University of Maryland.

He was an expert in the Chinese Mandarin language and service in the Korean was in Formosa and Germany.

Lieutenant Colonel O’Dea is also survived by his two sisters and a brother.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church, 9837 Throop Street.  He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington.

Full Name: THOMAS FRANCIS O’DEA JR

Date of Birth: 8/3/1926

Date of Casualty: 12/25/1968

Date of Death: 12/25/1968

Home of Record: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Branch of Service: ARMY

Rank: LTC

Casualty Country: SOUTH VIETNAM

Casualty Province: TAY NINH

O’DEA, THOMAS F Jr

  • LTC   US ARMY
  • KOREA, VIETNAM
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 08/03/1926
  • DATE OF DEATH: 12/25/1968
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 6  SITE 9379 RH
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

 

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