Thomas James Durfee

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Dana Lynn Durfee on January 17, 2022:

THOMAS JAMES DURFEE, LTC. US ARMY (RET). age 77, passed away on 28 January 2019. A 1964 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Tom served over 24 years in the Army Signal Corps, including overseas tours in Vietnam, Korea, and Germany where he commanded the Signal Battalion of the 1st Armored Division. Tom was a 3rd generation West Pointer and his family has prolific time in Service Academy as well as a brother who graduated from the Naval Academy. Tom became an Airborne Ranger immediately following graduation from West Point and then proceeded to join the Army Signal Corps. He was a decorated Vietnam veteran in four different Counteroffensive Phases, including the 1969 Tet Counteroffensive. He was also a talented Linguist and for a time was foreign Language Instructor at West Point. His career spanned assignments in Vietnam, Brazil, South Korea, Germany and finally culminating at SOCOM in the J6 Directorate as he retired from active duty in 1988. He continued to serve as contractor for several years afterwards. Tom also had hobbies which were keeping up with his many talents. One of the foremost hobbies, which may have bordered on obsession was his love and work with HAM radio. As a signal/comms guy, Tom was globally synchronized through amateur radio and had friends, acquaintances around the world. He maintained a colorful album of contacts and places to which is radio would span the airwaves. He also enjoyed radio controlled airplanes. I'm certain if he had remained in service, he would have been in the center of UAV technology as it now has such a prominent role in todays warfighting efforts We will always honor and remember Tom's life and legacy as a graduate of West Point, a Soldier, a Ranger, a Signal Corps Officer and a devoted American. May we all consider Tom's influence and the indelible mark his life has made for our Nation and for the cause of Freedom

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