Thomas Elmo Colvin, USAF (Ret)'s Obituary
Thomas Elmo Colvin, USAF (Ret) died on Saturday, August 08, 2009 at Fauquier Hospital. He was 77 years old.
He was born on May 24, 1932 to Carolyn Carter Colvin and Heywood H. (Jack) Colvin, and was named for his grandfathers Thomas M. Colvin and Elmo T. Carter. He graduated from Culpeper High School in 1949, the last class to graduate from old Ann Wingfield on East St. in Culpeper. In his senior year, he was the President of the Class of 1949.
He obtained a scholarship to Virginia Military Institute (VMI) with the support of the late Giles H. Miller, a VMI graduate. He graduated from VMI in 1953 with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.
He was married to Barbara Virginia James on December 26, 1952. They have three daughters, Janet Elizabeth Colvin, Patricia Ann Colvin and Lucy Carolyn Colvin. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, his daughters, ten grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and one brother, William E. Colvin of Martinsville, VA.
Besides his parents, Colvin was preceded in death by his three infant sons, John, James Thomas and William.
Colvin’s family has a long Virginia history. His great-great grandfather Mason Colvin (1763-1853) was a Revolutionary War Soldier, and was a pioneer in Rappahannock County when it was first established in 1833. His great grandfather, James Madison Colvin (1809-1888) moved from Rappahannock to Culpeper County in 1861. Route 621 in Culpeper County, “Colvin Rd.” was named for him. His grandfather, Thomas M. Colvin (1860-1945) was a carpenter. His father, Heyward H. (Jack) Colvin (1894-1975), a WWI combat veteran, was prominent in Culpeper. He was a charter member of and the Chief of the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Dept. for many years in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He worked at Yowell’s Hardware (now gone) for fifty years.
Upon graduation from VMI, Colvin was commissioned in the US Air Force. Since the Korean War was still in progress, he was immediately called to active duty. He completed Primary Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, MS, and then Basic Pilot Training at Williams AFB, AZ: the “Jet Fighter School”. He received his silver wings as an Air Force Pilot on September 29, 1954 from Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, who himself was a pilot.
In 1956, he was chosen to be one of nine American pilots to be the cadre of the German Luftwaffe’s first postwar operational fighter squadrons, flying F-84F’s. The German pilots were all WWII veterans. Colvin flew with many of Germany’s WWII multiple Aces, whose WWII “kills” ran into the many hundreds.
He served combat tours in Vietnam in 1962-63, when it was a “secret” war where he was a Forward Air Controller “advisor” flying L-19A’s and walking with the Infantry: and again in 1969-70 where he was a fighter pilot flying F-4D’s and F-4E’s. He flew nearly 250 combat missions in Vietnam.
After tours as a Maintenance Officer and Operations Officer, he achieved the dream of every fighter pilot and became the Commander of the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron. After that, he was then the Commander of the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Both flew the F-4E Phantom II fighter.
Colonel Colvin retired from the US Air Force after 26 years of active duty. At the time of his retirement he was the commander of a 400-man heavy construction squadron in Korea.
After Air Force retirement, he worked in industrial facility maintenance, operations, and construction. He was the Director of Plant Operations and Maintenance at the University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore, MD from 1981 through 1983, He worked for ManTech Field Engineering Corp. as a “troubleshooter” electrical engineer, traveling worldwide, until 1987. He then worked for Atlantic Research Corp., first as their Chief of Maintenance at the Gainesville, VA plant: and then as the on-site Construction Manager of their new $30 million plant on 2400 acres in Orange Co., VA. He retired from Atlantic Research in 1992.
He is a member of the Culpeper Minute Men Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Culpeper Post 330 of the American Legion.
Tom Colvin lived a full life. He married the girl of his dreams early on, and they had three loving daughters. In his youth he dreamed of being a fighter pilot, and he became a good one. He experienced the risks of flying the early jet fighters, and later knew the feel of taking a F-4E out to Mach 2.4 at 45,000 feet. He knew the feeling of being shot at by very, very good antiaircraft gunners – and being missed! He sometimes lived in exotic places, and ate some exotic foods (some better not named!). He knew the burden and the rewards of being a commander of men.
Throughout it all he was supported by a good wife.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 11 a.m. at Found and Sons with Rev. John Farrar officiating.
Interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery with honor provided by VFW Post 2524 and American Legion Post 330.
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