After graduating from Kansas State University in 1954 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Air Force. 1 year later he pinned on his wings as a fighter pilot. In 1959 he was offered a chance to try out with the USAF demonstration team, the Thunderbirds; but as he and mom, with son Tommy Jr., wanted to go overseas, he turned them down. That next assignment was in Tripoli, Libya North Africa. That is where his other 2 sons, Donald Mark and Kevin Wayne, were born. After several more assignments he volunteered for Vietnam to see if he could do what he had been training to do since joining the Air Force. After 9 months and 237 missions he was thankfully back home with his wife and 3 sons.
His final assignment was Andrews Air Force Base where he finished his career after 24 1/2 years.(1)
Source:(1) Las Vegas Review-Journal from Oct. 10 to Oct. 11, 2012
Thomas C. Ross, Sr., LtCol USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on October 8, 2012.
Lt. Col. Thomas C. Ross, USAF (Ret.), flew his last mission Monday, October 8, 2012. He passed away in his sleep at Heritage Springs Assisted Living in Las Vegas.
Our dad was born July 28, 1932 in Sterling, Kansas. After graduating from Kansas State University in 1954 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Air Force. 1 year later he pinned on his wings as a fighter pilot. In 1959 he was offered a chance to try out with the USAF demonstration team, the Thunderbirds; but as he and mom, with son Tommy Jr., wanted to go overseas, he turned them down. That next assignment was in Tripoli, Libya North Africa. That is where his other 2 sons, Donald Mark and Kevin Wayne, were born. After several more assignments he volunteered for Vietnam to see if he could do what he had been training to do since joining the Air Force. After 9 months and 237 missions he was thankfully back home with his wife and 3 sons.
His final assignment was Andrews Air Force Base where he finished his career after 24 1/2 years. It was now time to retire and move to Las Vegas where he became a member of the Southern Nevada chapter of the Civil Air Patrol. He was also a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association and the Order of the Daedalians.
He was preceded in death by his sons David Thomas and Thomas Clark Jr., sister, Judith Ann and his wife, Yvonne Rae (Higginbotham) Ross.
He is survived by his sister, Nancy Louise and sons, Donald Mark and Kevin Wayne, his grand children Gunnery Sargent Jonathan Thomas Ross, USMC, Raquel Markie Ross and Kelsi Nikkole Gossett-Ross and his great grand child Cameron Thomas Ross.
Funeral services for Lt.Col. Ross [were held on] Saturday, October 13, 2012 in the First United Methodist Church, Wellington, Kansas. He [was] laid to rest at the Sumner Memorial Gardens, Wellington, Kansas.
Published by Las Vegas Review-Journal from Oct. 10 to Oct. 11, 2012
