[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 38 (Thursday, March 6, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E322-E323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THOMAS A. SHERMAN
______
HON. KEN CALVERT
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to a
man who has dedicated 50 years of his life in the service of the State
of California and to the United States of America. I say with the
utmost sincerity there are few who have contributed more to the
understanding and development of the challenging and dangerous
discipline of wildland firefighting as Thomas A. Sherman. Riverside
County is fortunate to have enjoyed the leadership and experience that
Tom Sherman has provided. On March 8, 2014, he will formally retire
from the Bureau of Land Management Fire Service as Division Chief of
California Desert District Fire and Aviation. In total, Tom has served
in multiple capacities of the fire service at the county, state, and
federal level.
The roots of Tom's service go back generations when the Sherman
(Schermarm) Family left Germany in the late 1800s to become some of the
first settlers of the San Jacinto Mountains. Many years later, Tom was
born in Upland, California on July 6, 1946 to Jack and Georgette
Sherman. He spent a great deal of his youth in the Santa Ana Canyon
learning from his grandfather and attending elementary school in
Corona. He began what would become a long and thriving career in
firefighting in 1963 as a Seasonal Firefighter with the California
Division of Forestry (CDF) in Corona. After graduating from Blythe High
School in 1965, he worked as a Firefighter with CDF in San Jacinto,
California until 1966.
In September of 1966, Tom answered his nation's call and was drafted
into the U.S. Army. He attended basic training at Fort Ord, California
and was subsequently sent to Vietnam in 1967 as a soldier with the 1st
Battalion, 84th Artillery of the 9th Infantry Division. His potential
was recognized by his superiors with a promotion to Sergeant and gun-
crew NCO in charge. He and his battalion earned two Presidential Unit
Citations for their gallant service. Tom returned to the United States
in March of 1968 and took the knowledge learned in Vietnam to train new
artillery soldiers at the Artillery School at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.
He was honorably discharged from the Army in June of 1968 as a
Specialist 5th Class. Tom returned to California and immediately
resumed his job at CDF as a Firefighter in Orange County
Tom's natural leadership led to the initiation of numerous
firefighting programs that exist to this day. He designed the Riverside
County Fire Department emblem, which was formally adopted in 1976 and
is still used. That same year while buying guitar strings at the Corona
Music Center he met MaryAnn Colapinto. Not long after they were walking
down the aisle to be married.
As the 1970s progressed, he was appointed the first Fire Captain in
the Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD). In that capacity he
further revolutionized wildland fire response through the development
of rapidly deployable hand-crews and a state-recognized crew relief
driver program. His vast experience led the transformation of obsolete
fire trucks into ``Brush Engines'' specifically designed for the unique
terrain of Southern California. In 1985
[[Page E323]]
he was recognized as a California State Certified Fire Captain for the
impacts made across the county and state. Tom continued to advocate
issues at the RCFD as both the President of the Riverside County
Volunteer Fire Association and Vice President of the Riverside County
Fire Chiefs Association.
In the mid-1990s Tom expanded his influence when he was hired by the
US Forest Service. There he was promoted to the position of Fire Crew
manager for the Cleveland National Forest's Hotshot Crew. He
transitioned to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a seasonal Fire
Prevention Technician at the Barstow District, Apple Valley Fire
Center. His leadership was soon recognized, and he was promoted to
Battalion Chief and permanent Fire Prevention Officer for Palm Springs
and South Coast Regions. In 2003 was promoted to Division Chief and
filled the position of California Desert District Fire Operations
Supervisor. There, he was responsible for training, equipping, and
standardizing engine crews, thus increasing professionalism of the
teams and interoperability throughout the district. Most recently, Tom
has acted as California Desert District Fire and Aviation Manager,
where he enhanced interagency cooperation throughout the State of
California, formalized federal air support to fire, and reinforced the
reputation of BLM as a viable firefighting service.
Today, Tom and MaryAnn reside in Corona, where MaryAnn is a Librarian
of 25 years at Jefferson Elementary and a member of the Corona Library
Board of Trustees. Tom has also been a member of the Elks Club and
supports veterans issues as an active member of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars. Their son, Tom began following his father's footsteps as a
volunteer firefighter until he entered the United States Air Force
Academy in 1991. He is currently a Colonel-Select in the United States
Air Force's Security Forces and a student at the National War College
at Ft McNair. Their daughter, Nancy, is a Global Clinical Research
Program Manager at City of Hope in Pasadena, California.
Throughout his career, Tom's unending love for the fire service
created a drive that never ceased to encourage those around him.
Fortunately, his legacy will live on through the countless firefighters
he has mentored. I am proud to honor such a tremendous member of our
community. Passion of this level is rare, but it is the standard that
Tom has set for his family, his fellow firefighters, and his community
members. I believe I speak for the countless individuals who have
benefited from Tom's service when I thank him for the contributions he
has made and salute him as he retires after 50 years of service.
____________________