CCA Bulletin 10.15.23

Dear Families,

On Wednesday, October 25, we will honor a fallen soldier who attended Concordia Lutheran School from 1990-1993 in our all-school chapel service.

SGT Thomas F. Allison was born on October 28, 1979 and was raised in Parkland, WA. He died in an overwater helicopter crash on February 22, 2002 while on a mission in support of the global war on terrorism. Tom was survived by his parents Buddy and Patricia, his brother Scott, and his sisters Deborah and Christine. He is laid to rest in Kent, Washington at Tahoma National Cemetery.

Tom attended Concordia Lutheran School from 6th through 8th grade. He loved his time at Concordia, and it made a major impression on him as he moved on to Washington High School in Parkland. He remained strong in the faith and was always guided by it. He often stood up for others in the interest of fairness. Although he appreciated the worry and care of his family, he was determined and confident in his service to his country and it was important to him that they know he could handle it. On the night before leaving on the mission where he lost his life, he assured his family not to worry and told them, “Some of us will get to heaven first, and we’ll be waiting for you slow pokes.”

Tom enlisted for service in the U.S. Army in 1998. After graduation from Basic Combat Training, he attended Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he was trained as a Medium Helicopter Repairer (67U). Upon completion of AIT, he attended Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was then assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) Airborne (ABN), known as the Night Stalkers, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He completed the Enlisted Green Platoon Course and the Basic Mission Qualification Course and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) where he served in the Aviation Life Support Equipment Section. In 2001, he was assigned to Echo Company 2nd Battalion, 160th SOAR (ABN) in Taegu, Republic of Korea. He deployed with his unit to multiple locations across the Pacific Command in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

Tom’s mother was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from The Special Operations Fund which was incorporated to provide educational benefits for family members of those who were killed in action or killed in training while serving with various joint special mission units. In recognition of President Emeritus SEAL Captain Rick Woolard’s concern that unmarried fallen special mission unit warriors be remembered, the Special Operations Fund established the Captain Rick Woolard Scholarship that may be used at the discretion of the fallen warrior’s parents in a way they feel most appropriately celebrates and commemorates their child’s life.

Tom’s mother, Pat, met with me last spring, and we had a special plaque commissioned to memorialize Tom. The plaque will be dedicated in chapel and installed in front of our CCA flagpole at the center of our campus. Each year, we will select a military family from our school who demonstrates the greatest financial need. The scholarship will pay for all fees, including any sports fees accrued up to $1000 for the school year. This year, I am pleased to announce that our first recipient will be Dr. Frederick E. Powell, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Navy Reserve. Dr. Powell served on several special missions teams during the time that Tom was actively serving. His son, Avery, is a fifth grader at CCA.

We invite you to attend our special chapel and walk over afterwards to view the plaque on display at our flagpole. We are grateful for all those who serve our country. Thank you!

In Christ,

Sherrie Gibelyou

sherrie.gibelyou@ccatacoma.org

253-389-0349, which