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<p><em>Thomas Russell Turner II </em>was born August 24, 1952 in Ridley Park, PA to Frank Delaplaine and Rita McNeal Turner. Tom’s father served as a Marine in the Pacific during World War II. He attended Pennsylvania Military College using the GI Bill and became a career Army officer. Tom’s mother was a strong woman of Appalachian Scottish descent, graduating college at a time when that was an unusual accomplishment for women. While Frank and Rita had gone to secondary school together, they pursued separate paths and did not reconnect until he was attending Pennsylvania Military College, where she was a dietician. Rita McNeal Turner was the foundation upon which the success of the Turner family was built. She provided stability at home and instilled in each of her four sons an indelible strength of character and a fierce loyalty to each other. Tom was the oldest, and the first to enter West Point. The three younger brothers followed: Del, Class of 1977; John, Class of 1979; and Bill, Class of 1986. </p>
<p>Tom lived over 40 years in military quarters, first as the son of an officer and then as an officer himself. As a child, his community leaders were soldiers and their spouses. Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) taught him to play shortstop in baseball, guard in basketball, and wide receiver in football. More importantly, they taught him teamwork and how to win with humility and lose with dignity. Junior officers and NCOs led, pushed, and cajoled him to Eagle Scout. They taught him lessons in leadership that served him all his life.</p>
<p>Tom was in junior high school when the Turner family moved to Alexandria, VA. The family stayed there for several years to provide stability for the sons during their years of secondary education even though Frank might be deployed elsewhere, including Vietnam. Tom attended Fort Hunt High School, which he loved. He excelled in football, track, Key Club, student council, Virginia Boys State and National Junior Safety Council. Tom spent summers as a counselor at the National Area Council Boy Scout Camp. Tom was awarded a full football scholarship to the University of North Carolina, which he turned down to attend West Point. </p>
<p>At West Point, Tom was once again shaped by great military men, all recent combat veterans. Tom was forever grateful for the sterling example of leadership set by his company tactical officer, Captain Jerry Cecil, and his wife, Marion. The biggest influence on Tom was his classmates, especially those in Company D-4. Tom lettered in lacrosse, was a permanent captain during his First Class year, and received the “Class of 1943 Outstanding Company Commander” award. Tom also had the distinction (although a dubious one among his classmates) of never having walked the Area. While Tom gained much from his West Point experience, he also lost a few things: some teeth and eyesight while playing corps squad lacrosse and a couple of weeks due to boxing-induced amnesia. </p>
<p>Following graduation, Tom served 35 years on active duty, in positions of increasing scope and responsibility. He commanded companies in the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and in the 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. His battalion command was the United Nations Command Security Force, Joint Security Area, Panmunjom, Korea. He later commanded the Southern European Task Force and Joint Task Force Liberia. While commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Tom deployed the division to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. His division combat area of responsibility in Iraq included most of the country north of Baghdad. Tom’s final command was Fifth Army and U.S. Army North. As Fifth Army commander, he led the Army service component of U.S. Northern Command. </p>
<p>Tom also had several noteworthy non-command assignments. For example, in 2001 he was U.S. deputy military representative to the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, where he was part of the team that secured an Article 5 declaration stating that the 9/11 attack on the United States was an attack on NATO. He was S-3 and executive officer (operations), 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He was also chief of staff, 82nd Airborne Division and chief of staff, XVIII Airborne Corps. </p>
<p>Tom retired in 2010. During his Army career, Tom received advanced degrees from the Naval Post Graduate School and the Royal College of Defense Studies. </p>
<p>The family history of Frank and Rita meeting again at Pennsylvania Military College after several years separation has its next-generation sequel. In 1973, while on First Class detail at Camp Buckner, Tom’s classmate and good friend Jim Coggin introduced Tom to his relative Susan Strum. As Susan recalls vividly, Tom was not at all interested, much less smitten. Almost two years passed before they met again, in entirely different circumstances, with entirely different results. Their second meeting involved a wedding, Jim and Donna Coggin’s at the Cadet Chapel, and a certain memorable red dress. Nothing more need be said. Tom and Susan married in 1976 and enjoyed 48 years of marriage. </p>
<p>After Tom retired, he and Susan made their home in Alexandria, not far from his beloved Fort Hunt High School. Tom avidly followed the Nationals and Washington NFL football team, as well as any activities undertaken by his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Susan; children: Russell (May) Turner, Kevin (Desiree) Turner, Tim (Mayara) Turner, and Kyle (Matt) Whitehair; and grandchildren: Tom, Colleen, Alina, Caleb, Lucas and Jackson.</p>
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