Thomas V. Murto Colonel Jr. USMC

June 25, 1918 - January 23, 2015

Colonel Thomas V. Murto, Jr. (Tom), USMC (Ret), passed away peacefully on January 23, 2015 at Brooke Army Military Medical Center in San Antonio, TX surrounded by his family. Tom was born June 25, 1918, in Washington D.C., to Dr. Thomas V. Murto and Elizabeth Ferguson Murto. He grew up in Middletown, PA. He graduated in 1939 from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. with a Mechanical Engineering degree and was commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps. While attending Lehigh, Tom met his soul mate, Joan Hartzell of Bethlehem, PA., whom he married in 1941.

Tom honorably served his country as a Marine aviator for 26 years. He flew at least 45 missions, in Wildcat F4F-4s and Corsair F4U-1s in the Pacific during WWII. He was awarded the Air Medal with 8 stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two stars, WWII Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze stars, National Defense Medal with 1 Bronze star. He also flew Corsairs in the Korean War, and was awarded the Bronze Star with a V (in combat), Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, and Republic of Korea Unit Citation.

During his career in the Marines, he commanded many squadrons and air groups and was in-charge of the assignment unit at Corps HQ at the Pentagon in Va. Tom's final assignment was as Commander of Beaufort Marine Corps Air Base in Beaufort, SC, where he retired in 1965 as a Colonel.

After retiring from the Marines, Tom worked for Deering Milliken, a textile company, in Spartanburg, SC, as department coordinator of noncomputer parts. He moved to Austin, TX and worked for Scientific Methods for several years. After several other endeavors, Tom went to work for Texas's Department of Human Resource until retirement.

Tom and Joan enjoyed 57 years together, raising a family, traveling the world, and making many friends before her death in 1998. During the past 13 years, Tom lived in I Towers Park Lane, San Antonio, TX, where he was actively involved and had many friends.

Tom was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joan Hartzell Murto; brother, Dr. Robert E. Murto; sister, Katharine E. Ruddy; and his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas V. Murto. He is survived by 3 children; Thomas V. Murto, III and wife Sandy, William H. Murto and wife Maura, and Jane E. Johnson and husband Gayle, 11 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, sister Mary Anne Culliton, sister-in-law Marilyn E. Murto, sister-in-law Doris Hartzell, and many nieces and nephews.

On Friday, February 6th at 9:00 am, a service will be held at Main Post Chapel, 2301 Wilson Way St., Fort Sam Houston, TX with interment to follow in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with full military honors.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Col. Thomas V. Murto, Jr. '39 Endowment Fund, Lehigh University, 27 Memorial Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18015-3086.

We thank God for the gift of his life and the blessing of the time we spent with him. He will be greatly missed by all those that knew and loved him.