Captain Thomas F. J. O'Brien

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="097f0f21egerdp.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#66334C" FACE="Arial" ><B>Our Family  Past and Present</B></FONT><B>      |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Family Past and Present"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="King Phillips War 1675"><U>King Phillip's War 1675</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id354.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Captain Nathaniel Peck"><U>Captain Nathaniel Peck</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id359.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Cole, Esquire"><U>William Cole, Esquire</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id355.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corporal Joseph Cole"><U>Corporal Joseph Cole</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id356.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private John Daggett"><U>Private John Daggett</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id357.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Levi Daggett"><U>Private Levi Daggett</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id387.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Comfort Peck"><U>Private Comfort Peck</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id358.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Charles William Cole"><U>Private Charles William Cole</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id391.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pearl Harbor 1941"><U>Pearl Harbor 1941</U></A>   |   <B>Captain Thomas F. J. O'Brien</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="096f2f02egerdp.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="King Phillips War 1675"><U><B>King Phillip's War 1675</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id354.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Captain Nathaniel Peck"><U><B>Captain Nathaniel Peck</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id359.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Cole, Esquire"><U><B>William Cole, Esquire</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id355.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corporal Joseph Cole"><U><B>Corporal Joseph Cole</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id356.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private John Daggett"><U><B>Private John Daggett</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id357.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Levi Daggett"><U><B>Private Levi Daggett</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id387.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Comfort Peck"><U><B>Private Comfort Peck</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id358.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Charles William Cole"><U><B>Private Charles William Cole</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id391.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pearl Harbor 1941"><U><B>Pearl Harbor 1941</B></U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f04c336600.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Captain Thomas F. J. O'Brien</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="099f0f03.jpg"> <div> <I>Captain Thomas F. J. O'Brien</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="40a74c20.jpg" border=0 width="372" height="194" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">    </div> <div> Thomas Francis Joseph O'Brien</div> <div>  <A NAME="rhode_island_militia"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Rhode Island Militia</div> <bR> <div>      On November 27, 1900, Thomas  joined the Rhode Island Militia. He would spend a great deal of his life in the military.  His first enlistment papers state that Thomas was 5'11" tall, he weighed 148 pounds,  his hair was dark brown, eyes gray/blue.  He was in excellent health. He neither smoked or used alcohol. In the remarks section it mentions "Recruit seems bright and intelligent and is physically capacitated to join the Militia." His first placement was with the Hospital Corps Brigade. On November 20, 1902, he was transferred into the 4th Division Rhode Island Naval Battalion, from which he was discharged at the expiration of term of service in December, 1903. During this enlistment he served as a seaman and yeoman on the USS Columbia and the USS Kentucky.</div> <bR> <div>      Tom re-enlisted right away in the same unit.  Still single and a clerk in his civilian life, he was now 23. He served on the USS Prairie and the USS Alabama as a yeoman.</div> <bR> <div>      At the expiration of his third  term of service in the Militia on December 29, 1906, he was again discharged. The following month he re-enlisted once more in the same unit. He had gained a little weight, probably from his wife's good cooking. At 25, he used tobacco once in a while. </div> <bR> <div>      During this term of military service he served as a yeoman on the USS Rhode Island and the USS Louisiana. He was discharged on June 15, 1909. The following day he accepted his first commission as a Lieutenant, Jr. Grade. He was now assigned to the USS New Jersey. He served on this ship until May 25, 1915. The following day his orders were to join the crew of the USS Virginia as a full Lieutenant. He served aboard the Virginia until April 5, 1917. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>      <A NAME="_world_war_i"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A> World War I</div> <bR> <div>      On April 7, 1917, Tom was called into the service of the United States as the Commanding Officer of the USS Aileen.  </div> <bR> <div>      On December 13, 1917 Tom  joined the National Naval Volunteers as a Lieutenant and accepted and executed the Oath of Office. He was fully commissioned on January 14, 1918. These were the years of WWI. His duties were confined to the seacoast of North America and in the Caribbean. </div> <bR> <div>      After the war, Tom received a medal of honor at a ceremony held in Sacred Heart Church in East Providence. His name was placed on the Wall of Honor, along with many names of his friends and neighbors.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Career at Sea</div> <bR> <div>      Tom's career seemed to follow the sea after the war. In the 1920's he served as Chief Officer on the Shipping Board. </div> <bR> <div>      From 1929 into the 1930's, Tom served as a Ship Captain in the Merchant Marines. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="pearl_harbor___world_war_ii"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Pearl Harbor - World War II</div> <div> <A HREF="id391.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pearl Harbor 1941"><U>Tom O'Brien, Marine Supt.</U></A> </div> <div>       </div> <div>       In 1940, Harriet and Tom and two of their daughters, Catherine and Margarete were in Honolulu, Hawaii. While the family was still living there, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Although they were safe, conditions changed rapidly for them. Tom's family returned to Rhode Island.</div> <bR> <div>       Tom was called into Federal Service because of his knowledge and expertise in shipping matters. He joined the Army Transport Unit as a Marine Superintendent. His  responsibilities included managing the disbursement of men and supplies for the war effort in the Pacific area. He remained in Honolulu until after the war was over. </div> <div>   </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="46adbcf0.jpg" border=0 width="219" height="207" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="46993cf0.gif" border=0 width="147" height="207" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                       </div> <div> Catherine O'Brien enroute to Hawaii        Harriet and Tom O'Brien, daughter Peggy Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 1943</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>