Posted by Ted Togashi on August 14, 2003:

Tom and I roomed together as firsties during the second semester in L-1. He was a great roommate who studied (when he had to) and played hard. Academics came easily to him, except in the History of Military Art, which demanded total recall of the minutest detail of the great battles. In this subject, he and I struggled in the last academic section, but avoided being ?D? in the weekly academic report, which inevitably led to being counseled by ?Mad Max?, the TAC. When not studying, boy, did we horse around in the room! Usually after I?d pick on his balding head, we?d end up wrestling or shadow boxing. We dreamed of being commissioned in the US Air Force until the Academy revised the selection process into the Air Force. Eventually, we settled on our second choice -- Signal Corps, Jersey Shore, Out in Four. Tom left the Army after five years, while I served for 15 more. ?Rat?, as he was nicknamed before being assigned to L-1, made the last six months leading to graduation most enjoyable and memorable. It is with profound regret that I lost communications with him after he resigned from the Army in 1969. Despite this break in contact of 34 years, however, it seems as though we last talked only recently. Memories of him will endure. He enriched my life and he is forever a part of mine. Tom, Be Thou At Peace! You are missed, buddy!

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