RIP Tom Farley

For three years I had the great honour to serve with the HQ Troop, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. We were known as Second Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry (The Light Dragoons), based on our lineage. 

Amongst the folks I came to know was Tom Farley, from our A Troop, aka First Troop, PCC (The Light Horse). The oldest mounted unit in the US Army. 

Tom was a former officer and Vietnam Veteran who joined the Guard...because. 

I am very sad to relate, one of the truly Good Guys has passed on to Fiddler's Green. 

Thomas Farley was the model of selfless service, and his example was what I tried to meet and when it became my time to step away from being an officer, I hoped would respect my decision to become a Warrant Officer and continue to serve, much as he did. 

Whilst in the 104th Cavalry we both did the "Bosnia Vacation". That was in 2002-2003. 

When I was helping the 2IBCT from the 28ID prepare to go to Ramadi in Iraq, I asked Tom why he was going downrange one more time, when he could have obviously not gone, give his age. He said his job was to be there for the Troop Commander and provide his years of knowledge and wisdom to help his commander make good decisions. Which he did. Because that was the right thing to do. 

Tom wore the "Psychedelic Cookie" patch of the 9ID on his right shoulder. Which caused more than a few second looks. 

I cribbed his obit, posted below, from the First Troop FB page. I don't happen to have a picture of us together. Which is really terrible. 

I will miss him. 

Make sure you've got the coffee boiling for us, Tom, when it's my time. I hope to meet you there. 

 The Troop mourns the loss of Honorary Quartermaster Sergeant Thomas L. Farley, Jr., No. 2333. Hon. QM Sgt. Farley was elected to the Active Roll on September 8, 1997, promoted to Corporal on October 5, 1998, Sergeant on June 7, 1999, and Quartermaster Sergeant on May 7, 2001. He was elected to the Non-Active Roll on October 1, 2007 and the Honorary Roll on October 2, 2017. He died on March 14, 2024.

To his memory!

Obituary:

“PHILADELPHIA, Pa. –Thomas L. Farley, Jr., 76, of Roxborough, Pa., died on March 14, 2024, at home, following a brief illness.

Born in Philadelphia and reared in Levittown, Pa., Mr. Farley attended Bishop Egan High School and Bucks County Community College before enlisting in the United States Army in 1967. Assigned to the 9th Infantry Division as a combat correspondent and photographer, Mr. Farley deployed to Vietnam in July 1967. While in Vietnam, Mr. Farley was awarded two Purple Hearts for wounds received in combat, and the Bronze Star with Valor following his actions in the Battle for Cholon, near Saigon, part of the 1968 Tet Campaign.

After returning from the war in 1969, he attended Temple University, where he studied English and Journalism. He subsequently married Margaret McErlane of Levittown, Pa. The marriage ended in divorce in 1982.

Farley began his civilian journalism career as a newspaper reporter for the Burlington County Times in New Jersey before joining the Chilton Book Company as a magazine editor. In 1973, while at Chilton, Mr. Farley won the American Business Press Association’s Jesse H. Neal Award, a national prize for excellence in business journalism. After winning the Neal Award, Mr. Farley worked as a writer and account manager for several major Philadelphia advertising agencies, including Aitken-Kynett, Inc., where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Public Relations Division. In 1983, Mr. Farley founded his own advertising and public relations agency ultimately forming Farley & Roderick, Inc., a firm which shared in the success of the high technology marketing boom of the 1980s representing hundreds of clients including Commodore Business Machines, AT&T, and Okidata.

In addition to his advertising career, Mr. Farley continued his military service. Graduating Officer Candidate School in 1974, Mr. Farley was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the New Jersey National Guard in 1975. In 1978, he transferred to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, where he subsequently was promoted to Captain and assumed command of Troop C, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry. In 1991, Mr. Farley was called once again to active military duty during the Gulf War. In 1997, he resigned his commission and joined the historic First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry, as a sergeant and served with that unit as a peacekeeper in Bosnia in both 2002 and 2003.

In 2005, Mr. Farley volunteered for duty in Iraq with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry, deploying in July 2005 with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, to Ar Ramadi, which was then considered the most dangerous place on Earth. He was discharged upon his return at the age 60, ending an active and reserve military career that spanned 40 years.

Mr. Farley was predeceased by his father, Thomas Lee Farley Sr., his mother, Roseanna Theresa Farley (nee Gallagher) and brothers Walter Matthew Farley and Gerald Gerome Farley. He is survived by his wife, Cathleen Ann Herbert, of Roxborough, his sister, Susan Farley, his brother, Joseph Anthony Farley, and his four children: Jennifer Bolli, Thomas Farley III, Diana Farley, and Denise Farley and eight grandchildren: Maurina Hernandez, Thomas L. Farley IV, Madyson Bolli, Mya Farley, Arianna Floyd, Michael Bolli, Mackenzie Bolli and Liam Farley, all of whom reside in Bucks County, Pa. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Elliott Hernandez of Bucks County, Pa. and Amara Farley of Florida. Thomas L. Farley V, his third great-grandchild, will be born in Florida in June.

A viewing will take place on March 30, 2024, from 9:00am until 11am at Claire McIlvanie Mundy Funeral Home, 7384 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa., 19128. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Tunnels To Towers Foundation which provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children.”