Navy Lt. Adams was assigned as an exchange officer with the British Royal Navy's 849 Squadron in October 2002. Adams was killed when two British Sea King Helicopters collided in air above the Persian Gulf. He was the first Navy officer to die in the war against Iraq. From the time he was a boy, Thomas wanted to know all he could about ships and planes. He was born into a family of privilege but he grew up to be selfless and ready to serve his country. His grandfather served on the rebuilding boards of the Old Globe and the Aerospace Museum when both were destroyed by arson. He was also a descendant of U.S. presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. As a teenager, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and celebrated his 18th birthday by skydiving. Thomas graduated from Grossmont High School in 1993 where he was a National Merit Scholar and valedictorian. He graduated in 1997 from the Naval Academy with honors and was a radar operator whose job it was to detect low flying aircraft and skimming missiles as well as direct fighter aircraft. Thomas was passionate about soccer and in 2002 he volunteered to go with the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk to Japan where he knew the World Cup finals would be played. He also had an amazing outlook on life with a great sense of humor. While stationed in England, he decided he would buy a top of the line BMW. Most people would think a bit before deciding, but not Tom. He just went out and bought it and brought it home. That's when he found out the car wouldn't fit in the garage. He couldn't open the car doors to get out – it was that tight. Instead, he continued to park it in the garage and would climb in and out thru the trunk. Thomas is buried on a hillside that looks toward Mount Helix where he grew up. The words on his headstone define Navy Lt. Thomas Mullen Adams – etched on the white stone is "He's Just Pining". It comes from his favorite Monty Python skit, "The Dead Parrot Sketch". At his funeral he was honored with a rifle volley and a lone bugler played "Taps". Then two S-3 Vikings screamed overhead and Navy personnel folded an American flag and a British flag for his parents.
Navy Lt. Adams was assigned as an exchange officer with the British Royal Navy's 849 Squadron in October 2002. Adams was killed when two British Sea King Helicopters collided in air above the Persian Gulf. He was the first Navy officer to die in the war against Iraq. From the time he was a boy, Thomas wanted to know all he could about ships and planes. He was born into a family of privilege but he grew up to be selfless and ready to serve his country. His grandfather served on the rebuilding boards of the Old Globe and the Aerospace Museum when both were destroyed by arson. He was also a descendant of U.S. presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. As a teenager, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and celebrated his 18th birthday by skydiving. Thomas graduated from Grossmont High School in 1993 where he was a National Merit Scholar and valedictorian. He graduated in 1997 from the Naval Academy with honors and was a radar operator whose job it was to detect low flying aircraft and skimming missiles as well as direct fighter aircraft. Thomas was passionate about soccer and in 2002 he volunteered to go with the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk to Japan where he knew the World Cup finals would be played. He also had an amazing outlook on life with a great sense of humor. While stationed in England, he decided he would buy a top of the line BMW. Most people would think a bit before deciding, but not Tom. He just went out and bought it and brought it home. That's when he found out the car wouldn't fit in the garage. He couldn't open the car doors to get out – it was that tight. Instead, he continued to park it in the garage and would climb in and out thru the trunk. Thomas is buried on a hillside that looks toward Mount Helix where he grew up. The words on his headstone define Navy Lt. Thomas Mullen Adams – etched on the white stone is "He's Just Pining". It comes from his favorite Monty Python skit, "The Dead Parrot Sketch". At his funeral he was honored with a rifle volley and a lone bugler played "Taps". Then two S-3 Vikings screamed overhead and Navy personnel folded an American flag and a British flag for his parents.
Bio by: Brenda N
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He's Just Pining
