Santa Clarita funeral services for World War II veteran Tom Tucker were announced Friday.

Tucker died on Jan. 28, 2019 at the age of 93 at his board and care home in the San Fernando Valley.

Tucker will be interred at Bakersfield National Cemetery located at 30338 East Bear Mountain Blvd in Arvin, California at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2019.

Mass will follow at 3 p.m. in Santa Clarita’s St. Clare Catholic Church located at 19606 Calla Way with a short reception following the service.

Tucker leaves behind his wife Sydney with children David and Marlina, ex-wife Myrtis with daughter Christine Webb, ex-wife Dixie with children Timothy, Teresa, Vincent, Victoria, and Joseph Tucker. He had 15 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

A Great American Has Passed

Tom Tucker December 1944

Councilman Bob Kellar recently informed me that another member of our greatest generation passed away, Tom Tucker.

I reached out to Tucker’s sons Vincent and Timothy and I learned that he passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Vincent reported that Tucker had become uncomfortable and frustratingly reliable on others and he was ready to meet his maker.

“My dad knew exactly where he was going and it was a better place. Dad came into this world with nothing and he wanted to go out with nothing,” said Vincent.

His son added that his father had mentioned simplicity.

“Bury me wrapped in a borrowed cloth in a plain pine box,” said Tucker before passing.

Vincent and Timothy are very proud of their dad and that he lived a long, great life with many proud achievements such as serving in World War II and mentoring detained youngsters later in his life.

Timothy cherished assisting his dad during the last months of his life and Tom dearly appreciated his no. 1 son escorting him to our VFW for a beer and lunch.

Tucker was born Aug. 13, 1926 in Los Angeles and grew up in South Pasadena.

His high school days were tumultuous, to say the least, as he attended several high schools, but was still able to receive a diploma from South Pasadena High School in June 1942.

Tucker tried joining the Navy at age 16, and ultimately he did at age 17 in November 1942.

While going through boot camp in San Diego, he finally respected discipline and authority. Yeah, military training has that effect. After boot camp, Tucker traveled via train for 8 months of signal schooling at the University of Illinois and then to a diving school in New York.

Next, he was sent to the Naval Amphibious Base at Little Creek, Virginia where he volunteered for a mysterious assignment.

Underwater Demolition

Tucker then left for six months of Naval Amphibious Training atFort Pierce, Florida where he was to become an underwater demolition diver which predated the Navy Seals.

Tom Tucker posing with a .50 Caliber Machine Gun.

By November 1944, he was off to San Pedro, California via train. Meanwhile, he received no leave of absence or was allowed even a phone call to his family.

Tucker’s next adventure was on a slow ship to Maui where his Underwater Demolition Team 19 boarded the USS Knudsen 101 and steamed towards the South Pacific arriving at Iwo Jima March 1945.

Then, they were off to Ulithi Atoll, which was a staging point for operations against various Japanese occupied islands including Iwo Jima, Guam, Leyte, and Okinawa.

Tucker said he had never seen so many ships in one place as there were at Ulithi.

South Pacific Combat

Tom Tucker with his Underwater Demolition Team #19 on patrol.

Tucker’s memories of the South Pacific remain vivid as he spoke about the following events.  While on antisubmarine duty in early 1945, the USS Knudsen was attacked by a Japanese bomber, but the gunnery mates shot down that plane after two bombs narrowly missed his ship.

When the USS Knudsen arrived at Iwo Jima, the Marine’s assault had already begun. Japanese artillery fired and hit the USS Knudsen seriously wounding two sailors.

Due to Tucker’s medic training, he assisted hospital staff attempting to save one sailor’s life, but he didn’t make it. Both sailors were KIA.

Tucker forever remembers being ordered to take a bucket of body parts to throw off the ship’s fantail into the see. In doing so, he passed out.

Admiral William Halsey, Jr.
Tucker recalled transferring to a submarine for a special operation at Agama Island near Guam. His four-man unit, armed only with knuckle knives, took a rubber raft to shore for a night recon patrol to observe enemy activity.

Tom Tucker and his band of brothers at Ulithi Atoll.

They spotted Japanese soldiers and military hardware everywhere. They broke into two teams and after circling the island, the other two sailors simply did not return.

It was presumed they were either captured or killed. Because Agama and other Japanese occupied islands were cut off, the US Navy simply bypassed them.

While on R & R at Ulithi Atoll, Tucker went to a remote beach and spotted another sailor there so Tucker joined him and casually spoke about the war.

Tucker asked him what his job was, but the sailor glossed over the question. Suddenly, a uniformed officer appeared and said, “Admiral Halsey it’s time to go.”

Tucker was astounded that he had just chatted with one of the most powerful men in American military history.

South Pacific Combat
While delivering 155 artillery howitzers at Akashima Island, Tuckerand several buddies set out to find souvenir swords off dead Japanese soldiers.

Tucker found a dead soldier, but his body was bloated and stunk so badly that he could not bring himself to take the sword.

Before departing the beach, a remaining Japanese soldier fired at Tucker and his boys wounding Ensign Killow in the buttocks.

That enemy soldier retreated into the brush as the sailors blasted away.

On April 1, 1945, the day initial amphibious landings on Okinawa took place, the USS Knudson continued antisubmarine warfare patrols during amphibious landings at Hagushi, Okinawa.

They continued escorting battleships and cruisers in the northern Philippines until stopping in at Pearl Harbor and then to Bremerton, Washington.

Once Emperor Hirohito surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, the USS Knudsen was redirected to San Pedro, California. Tucker was honorably discharged on May 16, 1946.

His awards include Asiatic-Pacific Medal with Two Stars, Philippine Liberation Medal, Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge, WWII Victory Medal, and Naval Combat Badge.

Living the Good Life

After discharge, Tucker went to his mother’s home in Los Angeles and promptly landed a gas station job, but soon went to work for JW Robinsons owned by his family members.

He worked at May Company, the Auto Club selling white wall tires, then sold Cadillac’s and worked at Howard Automobile Company.

Tucker’s stepfather Charles Howard owned the famous race horse Seabiscuit and other fine race horses that enabled Tom to hobnob with celebrities and sports stars such as Johnny Weissmuller, Sammy Sneed, Leo Carrillo, etc.

Santa Clarita Patriot
Tucker was leading the good life. He loved dancing and learning the fox trot, tango, and ball room, but his favorite part of dancing was women buying him drinks hand over fist.

Tucker married his first wife, Myrtis McGee and they had one daughter. He later married his second wife Dixie, and then he married Sydney.

Altogether, Tucker has eight children, 15 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Stating the obvious, Tucker led a dazzling life and dearly adored the City of Santa Clarita and this great country.

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