Thomas Roger Woodley

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jose A. "Andy" Chacon on March 18, 2009:

Thomas Roger Woodley Born November 28, 1926 - Died March 15, 2009 Thomas Roger "Tom" Woodley was born in Detroit, Michigan on 28 November 1926. He enlisted in the Army in 1944 and served until appointed to West Point, on a Senatorial appointment, and entered USMA in July 1944. His West Point classmates recall: "Graduation has finally arrived in spite of the fact that Tom thought it never would. With all due regard for his Alma Mater, Tom will be happy to make a uniform change from gray to OD. Tom enters the Army with the same quiet, confident manner which has earned for him the respect of all his classmates. We are certain that the Corps of Engineers will find Tom a very capable and willing leader." During his cadet days Tom was on the Debate Council, with the Ski and Radio Clubs all four years; went out for Boxing yearling and cow years; was with the Pistol Club first class year, and was a Cadet Sergeant his first class year. Upon graduation Tom was commissioned in the Armor Branch and after completing the Basic Armored Course at Fort Knox reported to the 4th Tank Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas where he served from 1951 to 1952. Tom's next assignment was with the 66th Tank Battalion in Germany where he served from 1952 to 1955. He was then assigned as Company CO of a training Company at the Armor Training Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1958 Tom earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois and on completion was assigned to the Mechanics Department at West Point where he served as an Instructor until 1961. Tom's next assignment was to Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division from 1961 to 1962. Next Tom was assigned to The US Army Armor and Engineer Board, Fort Knox, Kentucky where he served from 1962 to 1965. He attended the Associate Command and General Staff Course. In 1965 Tom received orders to the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany where he served from 1965 to 1966 when he was assigned to Office, Chief of Research & Development and served until 1969 and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for conspicuously meritorious performance of duty in a non-combat situation. Tom was then assigned to Headquarters, United States Army, Vietnam where he served until 1970 and was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services. In 1970 Tom was named Battalion Commander with the 6th battalion, 32nd Armor, 194th Brigade and served as such until 1971. Then in 1972 he was assigned to the Command Maintenance Board, Department of the Army and was awarded the Commendation Medal for distinguished service. Tom's last military assignment was as Professor of Military Science at the University of Illinois where served from 1972 until he retired from the United States Army in 1975 as a Colonel and was awarded a second Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services. After retirement Tom returned to school and earned a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois in 1979 and on completion was appointed Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and in 1980 he became a Lecturer, then Associate Professor of General Engineering in 1985; He introduced personal computers into the teaching of Engineering Graphics and Drafting. He retired from the University of Illinois in 1994. Tom and his wife Pat made their home in Champaign, Illinois.

admin