Tenth Generation

7209. Col. (Ret.) Thomas Michael "Tom Mike" Skillman was born on 21 November 1927 in Altus, Jackson, OK. He served in the military pilot from 1949 to 1979 at Korean and Vietnam Wars in U. S. Air Force. From Charlie Skillman's phone conversation with Tom on 2/12/2009:

He got off on a tangent and told me that he had flown over 10,000 hours and over 1,000,000 without an accident. He told me while he was in the US Air Force that he was a pilot trainer and instructed cadets for Norway and France. He also flew T6 planes and also was a pilot trainer. He flew B25 for 7 years and also was a teacher of others. In Korea he was the personal pilot of President Sigmun Rhee for 1 year. All his flying time was as a pilot trainer. He went to Command and Staff officer school. He was also an exchange officer to New Zealand. He also flew assault transport in Viet Nam. He also flew the King and Queen of Thailand to various dedication ceremonies. He was also air attache to Bolivia for 4 years. He received a B.S. in Business Management degree in 1949 at Oklahoma University in Norman, OK. Tom Mike died on 13 July 2012 at the age of 84 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, OK. Colonel (Ret.) Tom Mike Skillman went to be with the Lord on July 13, 2012. He was born in Altus to H.C. and Sarah Skillman.

Tom attended OU where he received his BS in Business Management and then joined the Air Force in 1949. He received his MA in Economics from Clemson University. He pinned on his Air Force pilot's wings in 1951 at Vance AFB, his Senior Pilot Wings in 1958 in Seoul, Korea and his Command Pilot Wings in Auckland, New Zealand in 1966. Skillman was a flight instructor from 1951-57, a professor of Aerospace Studies at Clemson University (1959-62), Arnold Air Society project officer at Maxwell AFB (1962-64), an instructor at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Command and staff College (1965-68), operations training officer in Vietnam (1968-69), MAC Air Force Pilot at Robins AFB (1969-71), Defense Air Attache in LaPaz, Bolivia (1971-73) and AFROTC Commander at SMU (1973-until he retired). He was a veteran of WWII, The Korean War, and The Vietnam War and received a Million-Miler Certificate of Achievement, Distinguished Flying Cross Vietnam 1969, Legion of Merit in 1974, and had 10,000 accident-free flying hours in his career. Retiring after 30 years from the USAF, he repaired and rebuilt antique clocks and became an avid horse enthusiast.

Tom, a loving husband and father, is survived by his daughters Pamela S. Berman of Overland Park, Kan., and Vicki K. Livingston of Oklahoma City; five grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Altustimes.com He was a clock repairer. He received a M.A. in Economics degree at Clemson University in Clemson, SC.

Col. (Ret.) Thomas Michael "Tom Mike" Skillman and Kathryn Demalon "Dee" Smalling were married on 23 September 1945 in Altus, Jackson, OK. Kathryn Demalon "Dee" Smalling, daughter of James Vernon Smalling and Agnes Irene White, was born on 5 February 1927 in Altus, Jackson, OK. She died of a fatal auto accident on 4 July 2012 at the age of 85 at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, OK. (Dee) Skillman Feb 5, 1927 - July 4, 2012 OKLAHOMA CITY Kathryn (Dee) Smalling-Skillman passed away Wednesday, July 4, at the OU Medical Center as the result of a fatal auto accident. She was born in Altus, Oklahoma, to J.V. and Irene Smalling and attended Altus High School. She was united in marriage to Tom M. Skillman on September 23, 1945, in Altus. They were married for 66 blissful years. Dee was a successful Air Force wife, mother and a longtime member of the Central Church of Christ in Moore. She is survived by her spouse, Col. (Ret.) Tom M. Skillman; her daughters: Pamela S. Berman of Overland Park, KS; and Vicki K. Livingston of Oklahoma City; five grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Memorial service is pending. She was buried on 21 July 2012 at Martha Cemetery in Jackson, OK. Dee was a member at Central Church of Christ in Moore, OK.

Col. (Ret.) Thomas Michael "Tom Mike" Skillman-32327 and Kathryn Demalon "Dee" Smalling-56617 had the following children: