SP4 Thomas Paul Coffino, New York, NY on www.VirtualWall.org The Virtual Wall® Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

The old "Highbridge" neighborhood is less than one square mile of the 42 square miles that make up the Bronx. Tommy was one of 8 guys from that small Bronx Neighborhood who were killed in Vietnam. Tommy and his friends went to the same grammar school, Sacred Heart School. They played basketball there.

Tommy (middle front) and neighborhood friends

Thomas Paul Coffino enlisted in the Army and was trained as a medical corpsman. He arrived in Vietnam on 04 Aug 1970, where he was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry. Most Medics were further assigned to duty with a rifle company, and Specialist 4 Coffino was attached to a line Company, 2/22 Infantry. His unit was assigned as the tactical support for Rome Plow Operations.

The Rome Plow is a custom designed blade built by the Rome Plow Company of Cedartown, Georgia, and used on the powerful D7E bulldozer, organic to engineer units. It is referred to as a blade because it actually has a cutting edge which is sharpened daily. The blade is "canted" to the right and there is a heavy guide bar about three feet above the blade. The diagonal cant and the guide bar cause the trees and brush that are cut to fall off to the right of the dozer.

A land clearing company consists of 30 Rome plows and approximately 100 men, including operators, maintenance men, NCO's and officers. The teams receive rations and security from the tactical units they support. They may be deployed in any number from a single plow to the entire company, depending on the size and priority of the operation. By removing the dense cover, they were denying its use to the Communists. You can learn more about Land Clearing operations at 62nd Land Clearing Battalion, 59th Land Clearing Company, and public postings about Cambodia Land Clearing operations of 60th Land Clearing Company. Recall the Tommy was the medic for the tactical support unit from the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment or "Triple Deuce" Regiment.

Tommy with puppy in unknown Base Camp

Appears as if SP4 Coffino emerging from tunnel.

On 11 September 1970, SP5 Gary Bruce Glassford from the 984th Land Clearing Company was killed during the rocket attack documented below. In all probability, Tommy was there and his unit moved only a short distance away as the plows cleared more land on the 12th of September.

On the night of 13 September Charlie Company, 2/22's night position, approximately 6 kilometers east of Ben Suc village, received mortar fire - and SP4 Thomas Paul "Tommy" Coffino was killed.

Operational Report, Period Ending 31 October 1970, Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive

Daily News, New York, New York
23 Sep 1970, Wednesday, Page 171

He was survived by his wife, Eileen F. Coffino; mother Adeline Helen (Barbarisi) (1923-1998), father Irving Morris (1926-1999) Coffino; and siblings Michael, Diane, Theresa, John, and Joan, all residents in the Bronx. His parents are buried with him in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, Bronx County, New York.