Mr. Thomas H. CarllCullum: 25628 Class: 1965 Cadet Company: I1 Date of Birth: April 13, 1943 Date of Death: April 6, 2023 Died in: Salado, TX Interred: - View or Post a Eulogy |
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Thomas Hayes Carll was born on April 13, 1943 in Bryan, TX to William E. and Dorothy C. Carll. A true son of Texas, Tom was a celebrated scholar and athlete at Stephen F. Austin High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball and received all straight A’s (except for that one B in typing). What distinguished him more than his natural ability were his humility and commitment to high levels of achievement.
This drive culminated in a congressional appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1961. Here, over a four-year period with the Class of 1965, he was able to demonstrate his unique academic, athletic, and leadership abilities. During his cadet experience, he performed as the Football Scout Team quarterback, where he emulated Roger Staubach against the varsity, and as the third baseman on the varsity Baseball Team, where he threw out Mickey Mantle at first base in an exhibition game at West Point against the New York Yankees. Rated as one of the top-10 cadets in his class in military aptitude, Tom was selected as a permanent captain on regimental staff in his First Class year.
Upon graduation in 1965, Tom was commissioned in the Infantry and attended Airborne and Ranger schools at Fort Benning, GA, where one classmate remembered his calm and determined leadership while volunteering for “point” during difficult Ranger missions. In December 1965, Lieutenant Carll reported to his first assignment as a rifle platoon leader in the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, HI. Less than three weeks later, New Years Day 1966, he landed in Pleiku, Vietnam as a member of the battalion’s advance party.
Throughout the next year, Tom distinguished himself as one of the most courageous and able officers in the division. His bravery in heavy combat against the North Vietnamese army in the jungle mountains of the Central Highlands resulted in the award of the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts while serving as a rifle and reconnaissance platoon leader.
Upon his return to the States, he was assigned as an instructor at the Mountain Ranger Camp, Dahlonega, GA. There, a future general officer remarked that Tom Carll was his inspirational mentor and the leader whose example convinced him to stay in the Army as a career officer. Following his promotion, Captain Carll returned to Vietnam as a company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. His valor in combat with the riverine force in the Mekong Delta resulted in another award of the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, making him one of the most decorated members of his class.
Tom returned from Vietnam in 1969 and was stationed at Fort McPherson, GA, where he met his future wife, Suzanne Wheeler. Before their marriage in 1974, he was transferred to Fort Bragg, NC and served as a company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division. One of his lieutenants wrote that Captain Carll was a hard-charging paratrooper, loved by his men, the epitome of a leader.
Selected as a member of the West Point faculty, Tom obtained a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Indiana University in 1974. He and Suzanne enjoyed a fulfilling assignment in the PE department, where he was selected for promotion to major and was known for setting the highest standards. He and Suzanne both delighted in sponsoring cadets and hosting them in their quarters.
In 1977, Tom made the difficult decision to leave the Army, and he and Suzanne returned to College Station, TX, where their daughter, Stephanie, was born and where for the next nine years he and his brother, Pinky, owned and managed an athletic and fitness club. Tom and Suzanne separated in 1982, but his loving daughter remained close. Soon Tom met Susan Daly, who would become his “best friend” and (after 10 years together) his wife. In 1988, Tom left Texas for Tacoma, WA, where for the next decade he helped his brother build CEcon Corporation specializing in environmental remediation.
In 2001, Tom and Susan packed all belongings and set out for a year-long odyssey in an Airstream, complete with a fabricated boat and motor, that took them to 22 states and Canada. After golfing and fishing their way around the country, they embarked on Tom’s next career. In 2002, after a highly successful career as a project manager and consultant, Tom accepted a position with the Corps of Engineers. They asked him to oversee the construction of the Fisher DeBarry Athletic Center at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. (They had to call on a West Pointer to do that!) After its completion, Tom accepted assignments at Fort Lee, VA and then on the big island of Hawaii. His last civilian position, at Fort Hood, allowed Tom and Susan to retire to their beloved Texas in Salado in 2011. They rounded out their nearly 40 years together by spending time with Tom’s mother, daughter, brother, and sister (Carolynn), as well as nieces and nephews, and a granddaughter, Siva Marie, born in 2018.
Tom and Susan traveled often, visited casinos, and remained close to Tom’s classmates through visits, reunions, and golf outings. He was acknowledged as one of the most liked and respected members of the class. Mostly he loved being a father and a husband. He was also a devoted son and brother and friend to many. His infectious laugh, warm smile, and generous spirit accompanied his disciplined love of country. He was not just a military hero, but a hero of all men and creatures, and a hero of our hearts.
