Our Veterans
In honor of those who served our country in the armed forces, this San Marino Tribune article continues a series of individual salutes to our courageous veterans.
By Mitch Lehman
A Southern California boy through and through, including graduating from “that” University, it’s more than a stretch to picture Tom Santley not on the local beaches, but cruising the shores of the Great Lakes.
But that’s where the California native found himself in the 50s and 60s, a self-avowed “tweener.”
“I entered the Navy after the Korean War and before Vietnam,” the longtime San Marino resident explains. “But we kept those Midwest reservists fully trained and ready for assignment anywhere in the world.”
Santley applied for admission into the NROTC as a freshman.
“I was accepted to the NROTC program at USC in 1953 and upon graduation in 1957, I was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy,” he said.
Santley served two years of active duty from 1957-59, four more years in Naval Reserve, and retired in 1964 as a Lieutenant, USNR-Ret.
For the full story, see the print edition of the San Marino Tribune, or download the e-edition.
