Thomas S. Crow

Last updated
Thomas S. Crow
US Navy 790601-N-0000X-001 Retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Tom Crow died of cancer Sunday, Nov. 30th at his home in San Diego.jpg
4th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
BornMarch 16, 1934
McArthur, Ohio
DiedNovember 30, 2008(2008-11-30) (aged 74)
San Diego, California
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1952–1982
Rank U.S. Navy E10 infobox.png Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Commands held Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Awards Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
Other workAssociate Director, National University

Thomas Sherman Crow (March 16, 1934 – November 30, 2008), fourth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy was born in 1934, in McArthur, Ohio, and graduated from McArthur High School (now Vinton County High School) in 1952. After battling cancer, he died at his home in San Diego, California on November 30, 2008. He was interred in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. [1]

Contents

Career

After completion of recruit training, Crow attended AN "P" School and AM "A" School at NATTC, Memphis, Tennessee. His first tour was as an Airframe Structural Mechanic, Transport Air Crew member, VR-21, Barbers Point, Hawaii. He became a Search and Rescue Helo Crew member, NAS Chincoteague, Virginia. In 1958, he attended AM "B" School at NATTC, Memphis, Tennessee, and was advanced to AMH2.

Crow served as Aircrew A3D, VAH 9, Sanford, Florida, and deployed aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60). This tour was followed with a tour as an instructor at AM "B" school, Memphis, Tennessee. He reported to Fighter Squadron 121, NAS Miramar, California, in September, 1966. During this tour, he deployed aboard USS Coral Sea, and served in country in Da Nang and Chu Lai, Vietnam.

In August 1969, Crow reported to Naval Air Station North Island, California. During this tour he was advanced to Chief Petty Officer. His tour included a four-month TAD to VRC-50 in support of CIA, COD, aircraft maintenance. After his return to North Island, he was advanced to Senior Chief and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for performance as Maintenance CPO.

Crow received training at DoD Race Relations Institute at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. With this training, he reported as Race Relations Education Specialist at Commander Naval Air Force Pacific Det ONE. In April 1974, he served as Program Manager, implementing Phase II of Equal Opportunity/Race Relations Program. He earned his associates of applied science degree in business administration from National University, San Diego.

Crow attended Navy Drug/Alcohol Counselor School, NAS Miramar and served in the Human Resource Management Office in February 1977. In December 1977 he was selected to serve as Master Chief of the Force, Senior Enlisted Advisor to Commander Naval Air Force Pacific. During this tour he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration at National University, San Diego, California.

In June 1979, Crow was selected by the Chief of Naval Operations to serve as the fourth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. He was sworn into the position on September 28, 1979, and retired on October 1, 1982. He remained an active advocate of the Navy as a co-chairman of the Secretary of the Navy Retired Affairs from 1983 to 1986, honorary board chairman, U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation, Navy League of the United States, Fleet Reserve Association, a member on the board of advisors to San Diego Armed Services YMCA, and president of the United Armed Forces Association.

Awards and decorations

En-NavyAircrew.jpg Naval Aircrew Warfare Specialist insignia
MCPON Full.png Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Identification Badge
Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Silver-service-star-3d.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
United States Navy Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg
Navy Good Conduct Medal with one silver and two bronze service stars
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Korean Service Medal - Ribbon.svg Korean Service Medal
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Armed Forces Expedtionary Medal ribbon.svg
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg
Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars
Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and frame
United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg United Nations Korea Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg Vietnam Campaign Medal
Republic of Korea War Service Medal ribbon.svg Korean War Service Medal

Related Research Articles

United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program Popularly known as TOPGUN

The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, more popularly known as TOPGUN, teaches fighter and strike tactics and techniques to selected naval aviators and naval flight officers, who return to their operating units as surrogate instructors. It began as the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, established on 3 March 1969, at the former Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. In 1996, the school was merged into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar USMC installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, San Diego, California, about 14 miles (23 km) north of Downtown San Diego.

William P. Driscoll

William Patrick "Willy Irish" Driscoll is a retired commander in the United States Navy and a flying ace. Driscoll, a Naval Flight Officer, and aircrewmate Duke Cunningham, a Naval Aviator, were their service's only aces of the Vietnam War. They remain the Navy's most recently minted aces.

David C. Nichols United States Navy admiral

Vice Admiral David Charles Nichols Jr. is a retired senior U.S. Navy officer and Naval Flight Officer. At the time of his retirement in September 2007, he was the Deputy Commander of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) at MacDill AFB, Florida.

Joe Campa

Joe R. Campa Jr. is a retired United States Navy sailor who served as the 11th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

John Hagan (sailor)

John Hagan is a retired senior sailor of the United States Navy who served as the eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

Robert Walker (sailor)

Robert James Walker, Sr. was a senior sailor in the United States Navy who served as the third Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. He was born in Baldwin, New York, and attended grammar and high school in Oxford, New York.

Billy C. Sanders Master Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy

Billy C. Sanders is a retired senior sailor of the United States Navy who served as the fifth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

John Whittet

John Donaldson Whittet was a senior sailor in the United States Navy who served as the second Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

John L. Finley

John "Jack" Lawrence Finley was a United States Navy aviator and was selected as an astronaut.

VT-86 Military unit

Training Squadron EIGHT SIX (VT-86), also known as the "Sabrehawks," is a United States Navy advanced jet training squadron based at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. They are a training squadron flying the T-45C Goshawk. Their tailcode is F and their radio callsign is ROKT.

Naval Air Station Glynco Former military air base

Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia, was an operational naval air station from 1942 to 1974 with an FAA airfield identifier of NEA and an ICAO identifier of KNEA.

Gerald R. Beaman

Gerald Roger Beaman is a retired Vice Admiral in the United States Navy and an ex Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

William E. Gortney

William Evans "Bill" Gortney is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the sixth commander of United States Northern Command and the 23rd commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). He previously served as the Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command from September 14, 2012 to December 2014 and Director of the Joint Staff from July 1, 2010 to August 2012. Prior to that, he served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet. He assumed his post as CDRUSNORTHCOM and commander of NORAD on December 5, 2014, and was succeeded by General Lori Robinson on May 13, 2016.

Naval Support Activity Mid-South, in Millington, Tennessee, is a base of the United States Navy. A part of the Navy Region Southeast and the Navy Installations Command, NSA Mid-South serves as the Navy’s Human Resources Center of Excellence. The base is host to several commands and other military tenants: Navy Personnel Command, Navy Recruiting Command, the Navy Manpower Analysis Center, a Marine reserve Company - Bridge Company C and the US Army Corps of Engineers Finance Center. More than 7,500 military, civilian, and contract personnel are assigned/work on base.

Michael D. Stevens 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the US Navy

Michael D. Stevens is a United States Navy sailor who served as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON). He became the 13th MCPON on September 28, 2012, when he accepted the passing of the ceremonial cutlass from outgoing MCPON Rick D. West. He was succeeded by Steven S. Giordano on September 2, 2016.

Robert L. Leuschner Jr.

Robert Lee Leuschner Jr. was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was Commander of the nuclear-powered carrier USS Enterprise from 1983 to 1986. A native of Texas, he was born in Waco, and later moved with his family to San Diego, California, where he graduated from high school. In 1953, he was admitted to Rice Institute in Houston, where he enrolled in the chemical engineering curriculum. He also joined the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), so that immediately after receiving his bachelor's degree, he was also commissioned as ensign in the U.S. Navy.

Stephen D. Barnett US Navy officer (born c. 1969)

Stephen D. Barnett is an active duty United States Navy officer and career naval flight officer who serves as the commander of Navy Region Hawaii since June 17, 2022. He most recently served as commander of Navy Region Southwest from July 16, 2021 to May 23, 2022, and before that as commander, Navy Region Northwest from March 2021 to June 2021.

References

  1. Affairs, This story was written by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Bill Houlihan, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Public. "Navy's Fourth MCPON Passes Away" . Retrieved 3 September 2016.
Military offices
Preceded by 4th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
28 September 1979 – 1 October 1982
Succeeded by