I got to know Tom at the meetings in Junior and Senior Honor Society. He was a quite person,but seemed very honest and sincere. He went to Bama with me, but dropped out, to go to the Academy, which is quite an Honor. At a later Home Coming meetings, I got to talk to him, and discovered, that he had retired as a Full Bird Colonel. This was quite and achievement !! Tom was a good, and humble person, and We think of his Family during this time of Grieving.. DON
Tommy,as we called him growing up, would have been 79 years old today, and he and I would have been friends for at least 75 of those years. We became friends even before we started First Grade at the old, old Gor-Bidd School-- back when there were buildings. He had relativies who lived across the street from me on Third Avenue, and when he would visit we would play together and we became BFF, I think they call it now. Around birthday time, Tommy would always remind me he was older and wiser than me(May 24). DHS never graduated a better person. Tommy was an "A" student and honest to a fault. In the wake of the stolen exam scandal of IIth Grade Chemistry, an extreamly angry John Teague said that Tommy was the only one of us he would trust not to cheat (hurt my feelings,too). He was in charge of the ticket money for Senior Scrambles and there was no suspicion of hanky-panky, in contrast to previous years.
After graduation, he went to Bama and then West Point and I went to Florence and we did not see much of each other. Tommy became a Field Artillery Officerand served three years in Germany where he met and married Linda, the love of his life. He later commanded an Artillery Firing Battery in Vietnam, where he served with courage and honor. I recieved an ROTC commission, then served in Germany and Vietnam also but did not see Tommy during this time. I left active duty in 1970 to attend UofA law school, and was surprised on the first day to see that Tommy had done the same. Our friendship took up just where it had left off, and we got to know each other's better half. After Law School Tommy returned to his second love, the Army(Linda being the first) and had a distinguished career as an Army lawyer, serving in positions of great responsibily, such as Deputy Legal Advisor the the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff of the military, and he also served on the faculty of the Army's Judge Advocate School. Not too shabby for a Gordon-Bibber!
Tommy and Linda adopted and raised two wonderful little boys who my family got to know when we all lived in the D.C. area at the same time in the early '80's. After we returned to Alabama, we did not see each other much since, as the song says "there were planes to catch and bills to pay," but we kept in touch and enjoyed seeing each other at class reunions.
After things slowed down for both of us, we talked abour getting together either down here or up there, but never got it done. When we finally planned to go up, Linda advised that it was really too late and it would be best if we did not. I greatly regret not seeing my old, older friend one last time. He was the best. Richard Allen
The Chapel at Arlington and Colonel Tommy Kullman's casket drawn by the six black horses accompanied by the Honor Guard. Most attendees were family and his West Point classmates. My wife Peggy and I represented the Class of 1959. RFA
Elliot Tyler
A great friend!
Don Church
I got to know Tom at the meetings in Junior and Senior Honor Society. He was a quite person,but seemed very honest and sincere. He went to Bama with me, but dropped out, to go to the Academy, which is quite an Honor. At a later Home Coming meetings, I got to talk to him, and discovered, that he had retired as a Full Bird Colonel. This was quite and achievement !! Tom was a good, and humble person, and We think of his Family during this time of Grieving.. DON
Richard Allen
Tommy,as we called him growing up, would have been 79 years old today, and he and I would have been friends for at least 75 of those years. We became friends even before we started First Grade at the old, old Gor-Bidd School-- back when there were buildings. He had relativies who lived across the street from me on Third Avenue, and when he would visit we would play together and we became BFF, I think they call it now. Around birthday time, Tommy would always remind me he was older and wiser than me(May 24). DHS never graduated a better person. Tommy was an "A" student and honest to a fault. In the wake of the stolen exam scandal of IIth Grade Chemistry, an extreamly angry John Teague said that Tommy was the only one of us he would trust not to cheat (hurt my feelings,too). He was in charge of the ticket money for Senior Scrambles and there was no suspicion of hanky-panky, in contrast to previous years.
After graduation, he went to Bama and then West Point and I went to Florence and we did not see much of each other. Tommy became a Field Artillery Officerand served three years in Germany where he met and married Linda, the love of his life. He later commanded an Artillery Firing Battery in Vietnam, where he served with courage and honor. I recieved an ROTC commission, then served in Germany and Vietnam also but did not see Tommy during this time. I left active duty in 1970 to attend UofA law school, and was surprised on the first day to see that Tommy had done the same. Our friendship took up just where it had left off, and we got to know each other's better half. After Law School Tommy returned to his second love, the Army(Linda being the first) and had a distinguished career as an Army lawyer, serving in positions of great responsibily, such as Deputy Legal Advisor the the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff of the military, and he also served on the faculty of the Army's Judge Advocate School. Not too shabby for a Gordon-Bibber!
Tommy and Linda adopted and raised two wonderful little boys who my family got to know when we all lived in the D.C. area at the same time in the early '80's. After we returned to Alabama, we did not see each other much since, as the song says "there were planes to catch and bills to pay," but we kept in touch and enjoyed seeing each other at class reunions.
After things slowed down for both of us, we talked abour getting together either down here or up there, but never got it done. When we finally planned to go up, Linda advised that it was really too late and it would be best if we did not. I greatly regret not seeing my old, older friend one last time. He was the best. Richard Allen
Bob Thomas
For Richard Allen:
The Chapel at Arlington and Colonel Tommy Kullman's casket drawn by the six black horses accompanied by the Honor Guard. Most attendees were family and his West Point classmates. My wife Peggy and I represented the Class of 1959. RFA