Thomas Siefke (1920-2020)
Veteran earned 2 Purple Hearts, served with Marines on Iwo Jima.
By Brooks Sutherland / The Blade
Sun, 24 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT
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Thomas Siefke, who earned two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star for his illustrious military service that included time with the Marines in Iwo Jima during World War II, died at his Toledo home while surrounded by family on May 9. He was 100.
The retired sergeant died of heart complications, relatives Linda and Fritz Kalmbach of Northwood said.
Mr. Siefke, who was born in Indianapolis and moved to Toledo a short time after, had just turned 100 on Feb. 1. His family threw him a big celebration attended by more than 100 people, not the least of whom were the Marine Corps Color Guard, which honored him for military service that began in 1937.
“He couldn’t get over it,” Mrs. Kalmbach said about the Marines’ attendance at his party. “He just kept saying, ‘I had the color guard, I can’t believe I got the colors.”
Mr. Siefke attended Whitmer High School and started out as a Western Union telegraph bicycle delivery person at the age of 14.
“I remember he did say that if you were lucky enough to be able to be picked to deliver a telegram to one of the bootleggers or mobsters that ran the casinos on Telegraph Road, they might just give you a tip that was more than your whole weekly wages,” Mr. Kalmbach said with a laugh.
In 1938, Mr. Siefke married Jacqueline Fitterer, who died in 2018 just before the couple’s 80th anniversary.
Mr. Siefke’s daughter Sharon Prince-Dann, of Westerville, Ohio, said her dad had a “good, long life,” and died peacefully around family.
“I was blessed to spend quality time with him,” she said via text message, referring to his final days.
Mr. Siefke joined the Paramarines in 1942 before landing on Iwo Jima in 1945. During his ninth day of battle, he was wounded by a bullet through his right wrist. He was then later wounded again when he was hit by shrapnel from a mortar round.
After the war, Mr. Siefke worked for Toledo Edison as a lineman, but then moved over to Ohio Bell, where he had a long and successful career.
Known as an accomplished golfer and bowler who loved checking out restaurants, Mr. Kalmbach said Mr. Siefke was a clear “family favorite,” and was widely popular with friends and work associates.
“He was pretty well-known,” he said. “A lot of people liked him and he was a lot of fun to be around.”
The family is planning to host a memorial service for Mr. Siefke at a date to be determined later, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tribute recommendations also remain to be made. The Cremation Society of Toledo is handling arrangements.