Tommy L. Vickery
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Tommy L. Vickery
November 24, 1930 - May 22, 2015
Having
completed his earthly ambitions of love and care of his family, and service and
dedication to his country, Tommy Lee Vickery, passed away May 22, 2015. Tommy was born on November 24, 1930, to
Nettie and Frank Vickery.
He
was a member of the Beaumont High School Parallel Bar Team and graduated in
1949. As a young man he enjoyed the
outdoors, loved fishing, camping, hunting, and hiking. He was also active in Boys Scouts and
participated in many scouting activities culminating in a mountain climbing excursion
in Acapulco, Mexico.
At
the age of 19, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, assigned to the 1st
Marine Division, stationed in San Diego, California, with a specialty in communications.
Later, he was assigned to the 1st Recon Company, whose mission was
to serve as an underwater demolition team, which was a forerunner to today’s
Navy SeALS. He served on the USS Horace
A. Bass (APD-124) during the Korean War.
Tommy was wounded in the line of duty at Koto-Ri Chosin Reservoir when
temperatures hovered near forty degrees below zero. He earned the Navy Occupation Services Medal
with Asiatic Clasp, Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, Purple Heart, Navy Unit
Commendation, and Presidential Unit Citation.
In 1991, he was awarded the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze
Stars.
In
1951, the young Marine married Agnes Basco.
Following his military services, he began a forty-one year career with Dresser-Ideco
Industries.
Tommy
is survived by his wife, Agnes; children, Vicky L. Brocato and her husband,
Jerry, of Conroe and Becky Vickery Thomason, of Huntsville; grandchildren, Tara
Brocato-Thomas and her husband, Chris, of Beaumont; Megan Brocato, of Conroe;
Greg Brocato and his wife, Alison, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Clayton A.
Thomason, of Huntsville; great-granddaughter, Sofie Thomas; brothers, Harry
Vickery and Phil Vickery; sisters, Kitty Hebert, Pattee Newman, and Cynthia
Stock; brother-in-law, Irby Basco; sister-in-law, Olive McLaughlin; and
numerous nieces and nephews.
He
is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Arthur P. Vickery; and
son-in-law, Richard P. Thomason.
The
family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Suresh Indupalli and staff of
Second Advent Medical Center in Beaumont.
A
gathering of Mr. Vickery’s family and friends will begin at 10:00 a.m., with his
funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at Broussard’s,
2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. His
interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.
In
lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or
to Wounded Warrior Project at warriorproject.org.
Semper Fidelis
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