U.S. Marshal, Western District of Pennsylvania

U.S. Marshal Thomas Fitzgerald	I was born and raised in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. After graduation, I enlisted in the United States Army. I had hopes of becoming a Military Police Officer, but the Vietnam conflict was in high gear and a real need existed for combat field medics. After completing basic training, I was sent to Fort Sam Houston in Texas for medical training and then continued on to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for on-the-job training where I worked in several different medical wards. I eventually was assigned the emergency ward on a fulltime basis. This assignment would become the most valuable training that I would receive prior to leaving for Vietnam. After eleven months of training in the Army, I was sent to Vietnam, where I was assigned as a field medic with the 3rd Squadron, 5th Armored Cavalry. I was placed as a medic for the 1st platoon of A Troop. In five months I became a Specialist 5th Class (sergeant) and took over as top medic for A Troop. A normal tour of duty in the field for a medic was six months. However, due to a large number of casualties among the medics, I spent most of my year-long tour in the field as a combat medic. During my tour, I received many awards for valor and distinguished service. I received the Silver Star for valor, which is the third highest medal that can be given to an individual in the Army; two Bronze Stars for Distinguished Service and Meritorious Service Award; The Army Commendation Medical, Meritorious Service; and The Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm. I was nineteen years old at the time and spent my twentieth birthday in Vietnam. When I returned to the Untied States, with one year remaining on my commitment from enlistment, I was assigned to William Beaumont General Hospital in Es Paso, Texas. I was placed in the Obstetrics/Gynecology-Labor/Delivery Ward. After being honorably discharged from the Army in April of 1971, I returned to Pittsburgh. I then began my law enforcement career.

I began as a dispatcher for the Pittsburgh Police Department before taking the test for the Allegheny County Police Department. I was hired by Allegheny County in September 1973. My first assignment was as a uniformed officer at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport where I also worked in several boroughs and townships in Allegheny County. The boroughs and township were sending their own officers to the police academy so they were short handed at the time. After four years in uniform, I was asked to join a special homicide task force to investigate a series of murders which were occurring in our area. After the task force was dissolved, due to the successful completion of the operation, I was asked to remain on the homicide squad. I remained on the homicide squad for eighteen years. While working in homicide, I watched many Vietnam Veterans being laid off from the steel mills at an alarming rate. It was also apparent that there were some very successful veterans in our community that had successfully made their way up the corporate ladder. These successful veterans were in a position to help their less fortunate fellow veterans - just as we did in Vietnam. I joined a group of fellow veterans and assisted in creating the "Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania." This organization had its beginning in 1982 and is still in existence today. While working full time as a homicide detective, which required working several hours overtime, I returned to Allegheny County Community College and received an Associates Degree in Criminology. I then transferred to Geneva College where I received research honors and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management in 1993. I continued my education by attending St. Francis College of Loretto, Pennsylvania and received a Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations in 1996. In 1996, I applied for and was promoted to the position of Superintendent of the Allegheny County Police Department, the fourth largest police department in Pennsylvania. I retired from the Allegheny County Police Department in July 2000. In July of 2000, I became the Chief of Police of the Murrysville Police Department where I served until August of 2002. After President George W. Bush won his first election, I was honored to be nominated by the President to become the United States Marshal for the Western District of Pennsylvania. After a lengthy interview process and confirmation process by the U.S. Senate, I was appointed the U.S. Marshal in 2002. I am responsible for the daily operation of the Marshals Service for the Western District of Pennsylvania, which consists of 23 full-time deputy marshals, 10 administrative employees, and 48 court security officers. The mission of the U.S. Marshals Service is to protect the Federal Court and ensure the effective operation of the judicial system. The Marshals Service is responsible for providing protection for the federal judiciary, fugitive investigations, transporting federal prisoners, protecting endangered federal witnesses, managing assets seized from criminal enterprises and Special Operations and Programs. In addition, the men and women of the Marshals Service pursue and arrest 55 percent of all Federal fugitives, more than all other federal agencies combined. In addition to my work, I was involved in raising money to build an elementary school in Vietnam. In May of 1999, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge traveled to Vietnam and performed the ground breaking ceremony in Da Nang Providence. In November of 1999 a group, along with myself, traveled to Da Nang and conducted the ribbon cutting service to open a two-story eighteen classroom school building. We have since raised money and built a medical clinic to the school. The current mission of the group formed to accomplish these goals, is to purchase prosthesis devices for children harmed by land mines and unexploded hand grenades. Through the years I have become involved with many charitable and veteran related organizations including but not limited to the VFW, American Legion, Social Services Committee for Veterans' Affairs for Congressman Rick Santorum, Boys and Girls Club of Western PA, Amvets, Disabled Veterans Inc., and Chiefs of Police Associations. Some of the awards I have been honored to receive include, Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program Veteran of the Year; Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Public Relations Award for Outstanding Devotion to Duty; American Legion Patriot Award for Outstanding Leadership; Greenfield Organizations "Special Recognition" Award; VFW "John Radko Law Enforcement Officer of the Year"; and the Pittsburgh Outstanding Citizen Award from the Post Gazette. I am married to my wife, Patricia and have three children, Angel, Sean and Tom and one granddaughter, Krystal.

Thomas Fitzgerald Receives the Silver Star Medal

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