Our most sincere condolences to Tom's family. I may be the last of a group of sailors who formed the Order of the Big Ten at Mare Island Navy Yard on September 18, 1944, and were still together on Oct. 31, 1945, in San Bruno. Thomas J. "Red" Stapleton was the Vice President in charge of independence. I was on Market Street on VJ Day and Tom likely was with me. I reconnected with Tom some years ago and will miss hearing from him at Christmas. Our regards, Jess and Sue Soltess, Michigan.