biography
Thomas D. (Tom) Roney was born in Buffalo, NY in 1947 and graduated from high school in Williamsville, NY. in 1965. He started college in September of 1965, but left school (and his Student Deferment) in January of 1967.
In January of 1968 Tom received his draft notice and headed off to start his Army service with basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. He was then assigned to Fort Polk, LA for further training in the infantry; and in June of 1968 he arrived in Viet Nam, where he was assigned to the 3rd brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
For the first four months of his tour, he served as a rifleman with Company C, 1/508th Infantry, patrolling in the mountains of the Hue/Phu Bai area near the DMZ. His unit was then transferred south to the Saigon area, but a serious illness put him in the hospital for over three months. On his return to his unit from the hospital he was reassigned to the mortar platoon in Company E, 1/508th, where he was involved in firing support missions for the Battalion line companies with the 82mm and 4.2” mortars.
Tom returned from Viet Nam as a Specialist 4th Class, having been awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Army Commendation Medal, and Bronze Star Medal during his tour. He completed his military service at Fort Hood, TX with the 2nd Armored Division.
Tom currently lives in Lower Saucon Township, PA. He is now retired after a career teaching Leadership and Management Development programs. He is active in Habitat for Humanity, having returned to Viet Nam three times to build houses with the Habitat Global Village project; and he is the President of Chapter 415 (Lehigh Valley) of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
