Col. Thomas "Buddy" B. Nordan USAF, Ret.

Thomas B. (Buddy) Nordan was born in Shreveport, LA on September 8, 1917. He was the son of Luther L. and Rosa J. Nordan. At the time, his father worked as a manager of the Virginia Carolina Chemical Company.

The family, which was originally from North Carolina, moved back to North Carolina when Thomas was in elementary school. They moved to Durham, where Luther L. Nordan again worked for Virginia Carolina Chemical Company. While in Durham, Tom, along with his brother Francis Nordan both obtained the distinction of being Eagle Scouts. Tom always credited his time with the Boy Scouts as providing some of the basic leadership skills he employed for the rest of his life.

Tom graduated from Durham High School in 1936. That same year, the family moved from Durham to Smithfield, where Luther Nordan worked for the Wallace Fertilizer Company. Tom attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1940 with a B.S. in Commerce. Shortly thereafter, he was admitted to the Law School at the University of North Carolina. There, he served as a research assistant for Albert Coates, while the Institute of Government at the University was in its infancy. The University, and especially Frank Porter Graham, had a profound impact on Tom. Dr. Graham's lectures on economic and social justice were a part of Tom's philosophy almost to his dying day.

On the eve of World War II, he left UNC Law School to take a job with Hercules Powder Company in the Roanoke, Virginia area, primarily due to the lure of what were considered at the time, extremely high wages. Tom was inducted into the Army in March, 1942 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December, 1942. In 1943, he was assigned to Algiers, Algeria. While on assignment there, he met his wife to be, Pierrette, who was a translator for the U.S. Army.

During World War II, he was further assigned to Tunis, Tripoli, Casablanca, and Duakar. In all of these assignments, he was with the Air Transport Command. Due to the shortage of military attorneys, and given the fact that he had been admitted to UNC Law School, Tom was assigned as a trial judge advocate and defense counsel; handling 75 cases during his service in World War II. Of all of his years of service in the military, it was his service as defense counsel in those cases during World War II in which he took the most pride. Tom always relished the opportunity to defend someone he felt was being unfairly targeted by someone up the chain of command.

On April 27, 1946, he married Pierrette Nordan and returned with his war bride home to Smithfield. Shortly thereafter, he re-entered the Law School at the University of North Carolina.

In 1950, he was called back to active duty in the military, attaining the rank of Major in the U.S. Air Force. From 1950 to 1955, he was assigned to the Secretary of the Air Staff at the Air Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

From 1955 to 1959, he was chief of the manpower division of U.S. Air Force Headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany. During this time, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. In 1968, while on assignment in Stuttgart, Germany with the U.S. European Command, he was promoted to Colonel. His last tour of duty was at the Pentagon, and he retired in 1974. During his Air Force career, he also served tours of duty at Hamilton Air Force Base in California, and numerous other assignments at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

His first wife Pierrette died in May of 2005.

On his 90th Birthday, September 8, 2007, he married Alexandra Ryan of Washington, D.C.

He is survived by his wife, Alexandra Ryan, his son Richard of Raleigh, daughter-in-law Missy of Raleigh, and granddaughter Lauren Ashley Taylor of Raleigh, first cousin Carolyn Felton of Chapel Hill, and first cousin Faye Perry of Suffolk, VA, and close family friend Joan Thomas of Washington, D.C.

The family will receive visitors at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home at 300 St. Mary's Street from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10. Arlington National Cemetery burial details to be determined. The family suggests that those wishing to honor Col. Nordan may do so with a gift to the William C. Friday Memorial Fund, UNC-Chapel Hill, P.O. Box 309, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.