Helmantoler Bio - Dept. of CA & Pacific, SUVCW


					Department Chaplain Thomas E. Helmantoler


							Thomas E. Helmantoler was born September 24, 1946 to John and Thelma Helmantoler in Peoria, Illinois. His father was a submariner during WWII and returned to California with his family in December 1951, settling in Encinitas, California. Tom graduated from San Dieguito High School in 1964 and began college at Palomar College. He finished at San Diego State College in 1968 with a B.A. in history, and earned his secondary teaching credential in 1969. He then moved to Julian, California, where he taught high school history, government and economics for 36 years. He earned a master's degree in education from Pepperdine University in 1975. He also coached several sports there for a total of 20 years, and retired to San Diego in June 2005. He has been the public address announcer for the Julian High School football games for 30 years and continues doing it. During a side visit to Gettysburg in 1974 on the way to Washington, DC, Tom developed a large interest in the Civil War. While visiting relatives and doing some side interest geneaological work in 1999, he discovered that he had a Civil War ancestor, John Henry Clay Absher (1839-1905) he never knew about. Absher served in the 18th Ohio Infantry and 2nd West Virginia Cavalry. He answered President Lincoln's initial call for troops, enlisting just five days after Fort Sumter was fired upon. In 2000, Tom obtained a medal awarded to Ashber by the State of West Virginia (a medal that his ancestor probably never knew about). Tom serves as the Commander of Sgt. William Pittenger Camp No. 21 and is a corporal in Company G, 5th California Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve (SVR). He is also active in the San Diego Civil War Roundtable, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge and is a Spec. 4 in the California State Military Reserve. Tom's wife, Sandy, is also a teacher and works as a literacy specialist for San Diego City Schools. E-MAIL TOM HELMANTOLER





















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