A Minnesota PBS Initiative
My Uncle
My Uncle, Thomas Michael Skally was born on April 27, 1947. He was the youngest of 4 children born to Fray and Carl Skally and shared the same birthday as his older brother John.
Tom was always a happy kid and liked to make others laugh, and that carried onto his young adult life also. After graduating from High School in 1966, he joined the Marines. He went to Vietnam initially in the fall of 1966.
I have no memories of my own of my Uncle Tommy, yet I feel I know his spirit. I grew up knowing Uncle Tommy through family stories.
By some coincidence, his brother John was in Vietnam at the same time, and same place. John was back at his battalion area for medical treatment and while there he went to the enlisted men’s club which was little more than a tent with some coolers. He noticed another guy that looked a lot like his brother so he approached him. The guy was, indeed, his brother Tom. They spent the evening talking and catching up and the next morning they went to Tom’s company commander and informed him of the situation. Tom was quickly reassigned to a duty station in Hawaii while John finished out his tour.
Tom holding me as a baby at our first and only meeting. Photo by Joy Weiss.
I spoke with another marine who was in Hawaii during that time with Tom, and he also reaffirmed that Tom was a great guy, always willing to help a friend out and would do almost anything to get a laugh. His time in Hawaii, by this account was filled with friends and some r&r.
Tom was sent back to Vietnam January 1969 to the Quang Nam area of South Vietnam. This area, known as the “Arizona Territory” was characterized by constant sniping. Sometime in January Tom was promoted from Lance Corporal to Corporal. One of the last letters he sent home to his mother proudly proclaimed this. He was proud to be a marine and proud to be serving his country.
On Feb 18, 1969, while on patrol, Cpl Skally’s squad was on point. They encountered a sniper. The pointman, PFC Gunderson was shot. My Uncle Cpl Skally, went to rescue him and was also shot. Both men were killed.
We need to keep their memories alive and continue to tell their stories so that they too can be remembered for generations to come.
Tom was an expert rifleman and was awarded the purple heart and good conduct medals. Chief Warrant Officer Dennis Powers stated for an interview, “I fought with Skally. Rest assured, he fought with courage and honor as a US Marine.”
I have no memories of my own of my Uncle Tommy, yet I feel I know his spirit. I grew up knowing Uncle Tommy through family stories.
I met him only once when I was a baby just about a month before he died. On the day Tom went back to Vietnam, my mom was smart enough to capture a picture of Tom, with me on his lap, and my grandfather, Tom’s father while we were at the airport saying goodbye. It would be the last time we would see him, and that picture is a treasured memory.
Uncle Tommy lives through our stories and memories of him. His name is on this wall behind me as well as at the national memorial wall in Washington along with so many other young men. My children also have grown up hearing about Uncle Tommy. Tom was only 21 when he died, just 2 months shy of his 22nd birthday. Although he did not walk this earth for long, I know he left a mark on everyone’s life he touched.
Services like this help us to remember those who have fallen and in doing so, we honor them. We need to keep their memories alive and continue to tell their stories so that they too can be remembered for generations to come.
Thank you to all those who have served, and especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: Little Canada, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Quang Nam, Vietnam 
Story Subject: Family
Story Themes: 1966, Angela Packer, Angie Packer, Arizona Territory, Death and Loss, Dennis Powers, Family, John Skally, KIA, Killed in Action, Little Canada, Marines, Medals of Honor, Memorial, Purple Heart, Quang Nam, Read, Rememberance, The Vietnam Memorial, The Vietnam Wall, Thomas Skally, Tom Skally