Tullius Alexander Acampora

Tullius Alexander "Tully" Acampora passed away peacefully in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts on November 4, 2014 surrounded by his family. He was born in the Bronx, New York City to immigrant Italian parents. He graduated from St Nicholas of Tolentine High School and attended Columbia University, majoring in Oriental Languages. He graduated with a Bachelors degree from Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan and also attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Affairs. Tully was fluent in Chinese, Japanese and Italian. He entered the US Army Intelligence Corps during World War II, was assigned to G-5 Corps, and sent for language training in Japanese and Chinese at the University of Michigan. He completed military intelligence training at Fort Holabird. From Fort Snelling, Minnesota, he deployed with the US Army G-5 Corps to Tokyo, Japan. He was subsequently assigned to act as liaison officer to Kuomintang forces in China. He was assigned to the Armed Forces Language School in Monterey, California prior to deploying back to Japan. During the Korean War, he served as intelligence officer with the Marine Expeditionary Forces and was awarded the Bronze Star by the US Army and the Silver Star by the Korean Armed Forces. Re-assigned to Washington DC following hostilities in Korea, Tully remained an active duty Army Officer focusing on Counter Intelligence Activities. He was subsequently assigned with his family to Rome, Italy in 1958, where he worked closely with the Italian Military and Carabinieri, forging life long ties with Italy and the Italians he loved so much. In 1966 he was re-assigned to MACV command in Saigon, Vietnam, serving two tours. He was awarded the Intelligence Medal by General Vernon Walters for his leadership actions during the TET Offensive in 1968. Tully worked as Liaison Officer to General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, Vietnam's Chief of National Police, developing long lasting bonds with his Vietnamese colleagues. Following the Vietnam War, he and his family assisted with the re-settling of numerous Vietnamese refugees in the United States. Tully retired at the rank of Lt. Colonel in 1978, but was always fondly referred to as the "Colonel." He is survived by his former wife, Lois Boeck Acampora; his daughter, Denise Acampora, both of New Haven, Connecticut, and two sons, Anthony Acampora of London, England and Gregory Acampora, M.D. of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Anthony Everard Acampora of Alexandria, Virginia and Alison Meade Acampora of Dublin, Ireland. A memorial service was held at St. Thomas More Chapel, New Haven, Connecticut on Veterans Day 2014. Relatives and friends are invited to call at Joseph Gawler's Sons, LLC, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. (corner of Harrison Street) Washington, DC on Monday, December 8, 2014 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at 2 p.m. on December 9, 2014. Donations in Tullius' name could be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Northern Virginia Chapter, or to the SPCA, Arlington, Virginia.