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All those we love are part of us, for things of beauty leave their trace, and memories of all we've shared are treasures time cannot erase. Click here to e-mail and share your special memories of Thom I served with Thom Maholic from
the time he entered the 7th Special Forces ... [more] |
Master Sgt. Thomas D. Maholic, formerly of Bradford, a Special Forces team sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), of Fayetteville, North Carolina, died Saturday, June 24, 2006, while on duty in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He was 38. Born in Bradford on February 1, 1968, he was a son of the late William E. Maholic and Dorothy Swartzfager Maholic, who survives. On December 27, 1993, in Bradford, he married Wendy Newton, who survives. He was a graduate of Bradford Area High School, Class of 1986. He enlisted in the National Guard as an infantryman after high school and attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. An infantryman for five years with the National Guard, he transferred to active duty in July 1991. He served two years with the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Battalion at Fort Kobbe, Panama. Then in 1993, he volunteered to be a Special Forces soldier. In 1995, he completed Special Forces training and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th SFG, as a Special Forces medical sergeant. In 2003, after serving more than seven years at that post, he was assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as an advanced noncommissioned officer course instructor. In April of 2005, he moved to the 2nd Battalion, 7th SFG and served as an operational detachment-Alpha team until death. Maholic's awards and decorations include a Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Expert Field Medical Badge, Special Operations Dive Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Special Forces Tab. He was also posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge. In addition to his wife and mother of Bradford, he is survived by a son, Andrew G. Maholic of Fort Bragg; a sister, Ann (the late Byron T.) Davis of Bradford; four brothers, John Maholic of Bradford, Mike (Lisa Hervatin) Maholic of Bradford, Dave Maholic of Cleveland, Ohio, and Bob (Martie) Maholic of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania; a father-in-law, Gregory (Karen) Newton of Newportville, Pennsylvania; a mother-in-law, Deborah K. Newton of Hamilton Square, New Jersey; aunts; uncles; cousin; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father. Memorials, if desired, may be made to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, P.O. Box 14385, Tampa, Florida, 33690; McKean County American Cancer Society; LIVESTRONG.com; or the Fort Bragg Fisher House, 12 Bassett Street, Building 5905, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5000. Posted 07.04.2006 • View News Item |
