Thomas Michael Amato
Thomas Amato was born 11-Mar 1949. His parents were Anthony Joseph Amato (1913-1972) and Myrtle Hicks Amato (1913-1989). Thom’s father Anthony, emmigrated from Italy. Thomas had two brothers: Anthony and Russell. Anthony served in the Army and Russell served in the Navy. In 1950, according to the Federal Census, the family was living at 4101 Shaw in St. Louis, MO.
Thom attended St. Paul the Apostle Grade School and attended Normandy High School. After high school, Thom enrolled at St. Louis Community College taking several courses. While enrolled in college full-time, a young man would be classified 2-S student deferment which postponed your eligibility for the draft.
Thom, like other young men his age (20), was In the first Vietnam Draft Lottery. The U.S. Vietnam War draft lottery was instituted on 1-Dec 1969, by the Selective Service System. Approximately 850,000 young men were directly affected by the first Vietnam War draft lottery. It randomized military conscription for young men aged 18 to 26 by drawing birth dates from a jar on live television and assigning them sequence numbers from 1 to 366 to determine who would be called to serve. Thom’s birth date was drawn 136th which meant he was highly likely to be drafted. In 1970, of those in the lottery, up to number 195 was called.
Thom left St. Louis Community College and decided to enlist. He went to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Southwest Missouri. His parents were able to visit Thom several times while he was at Fort Leonard Wood.
According to his enlistment record, Thom’s “RELATED CIVILIAN OCCUPATION DOT NUMBER WAS: 223387, STK CONT. CLERK. His Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) was 76Y40. Army MOS 76Y40 designates a Unit Supply Specialist at the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) skill level. The “76Y” broad code represents the Unit Supply Specialist field, while the suffix “40” denotes an E-5 to E-7 NCO (such as a Sergeant or Staff Sergeant). Thom was serving in an organizational supply role. It is the administrative and command unit that provides leadership, staff support, and logistics for a larger battalion or brigade.
His wife Janet said, “Thom was a Supply Sergeant or as he said, Keeper of the Keys.” While serving, Thom and his parents would exchange audio tapes. Both agreed it was nice to hear each other’s voices, but Thom’s mother said it was alarming to hear bombs exploding in the background. Thom arrived in Vietnam on 22-Jul 1968. Thom served with the 70th Engineer Battalion in Company D.
For more of his story, click on the pdf below.
