by John Dowd
Corvallis’s biggest event of the year is the Memorial Day Parade, which has been going for 105 years. This year, out to lead that charge will be Tom Devine as the 2025 Corvallis Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal.
Devine is a member of the Corvallis American Legion Post #91 honor guard, and has been with the Legion for many years. According to Devine, he actually found out he was selected when he was preparing to go to a funeral with the honor guard.
Tom Devine with his wife Beverly in their living room. Photo by John Dowd.
“I was in complete shock; I had no idea,” said Devine. For him it is a massive honor, and something he never expected.
Both Devine and his wife are originally from Helena. Devine was in the Montana State ROTC program and earned his private pilot’s license. He knew from his first flight in a small Cessna 172, when he was in high school, that one day he wanted to become a pilot.
Eventually, he joined the United States Air Force. He went to pilot training, a 13-month program, and started in B-47 jet bombers. He did this because he wanted to fly fighters and knew one of the best ways to try to get a spot doing that was to get on with these old bombers, which would soon phase out. During his time with the B-47s, he flew with the Strategic Air Command. Their job was to respond to any attack from the Soviet Union.
Once the B-47s were phased out, he became an instructor for the Talon T-38, a U.S. fighter jet. He taught basic flight maneuvers, aerobatics, instrument flying, navigation and formation flying. After four years of doing that, he ended up in the Phantom RF-4, a tactical reconnaissance plane that was designed to fly behind enemy lines to gather intelligence from the air. Devine said their motto was, “Alone, unarmed and unafraid.” He jokes that, “Two out of three is not bad. I can’t say unafraid was true.”
These RF-4 were indeed not armed, carrying not much more than sophisticated cameras, radar and infrared. Devine ran both day and night operations, and often at high speed and low level in the daytime. He had to be careful as he was often an easy target. In Vietnam he was gathering intelligence for air strikes, both before and after to identify targets and assess success.
Tom Devine kneels in front of a Phantom RF-4. Photo by John Dowd.
After his tour in Vietnam, he was reassigned as an RF-4C pilot and instructor on Okinawa, which is now part of Japan. Later in his career he was tasked with training RF-4C pilots world-wide, among other things.
Devine retired in 1983. He and his wife moved to the Bitterroot area, near his wife’s brother and closer to her family. They liked this area because it is often considered the “banana belt” of Montana, with more regular and higher temperatures throughout the year.
Devine joined the American Legion 16 years ago and used to be very active, but has waned from his activity. Now 85 years old, he mostly does the honor guard. For about a decade Devine organized and ran the Corvallis Memorial Day Parade in the early 2000s.
When asked what is so important about Memorial Day to him, Devine said, “It’s the one day we can look back and remember all the people, men and women, who served this country, all the way back,” and, “to be grateful to those people who keep this country as free as we possibly can.”
Devine looked back at his service and said he was often afraid of what could happen to him, were he to be shot down. He said he was not afraid of death, but he still ponders if he would have been able to stand up to the tortures and tests that he swore to resist against, if captured. His greatest fear was being in that position and letting down his fellows, and he’s glad never to have been challenged that way. He has great respect for those who have died in combat, and the sacrifices they made for this country. He believes that was the price of freedom, and it should never be forgotten.
Devine retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his 21 years of service, he flew for 16 of them, logging over 4,500 hours of flight time, 2,000 of which was as a flight instructor for the T-38 and the RF-4. He has four children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Corvallis Memorial Day Parade details
105th Annual Corvallis Memorial Day Parade – May 26, 2025
Theme: Vietnam War Commemoration: Honoring All Who Served, 1955–1975
The Corvallis American Legion Post #91 proudly announces the 105th Annual Memorial Day Parade, set for Monday, May 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
This year’s parade will honor the service and sacrifice of Vietnam War veterans under the theme “Vietnam War Commemoration: Honoring All Who Served, 1955–1975.”
Grand Marshal is Tom Devine, a United States Air Force veteran. Tom flew F4 Phantoms in Vietnam. Tom and his wife Bev will lead the parade south down main street, then west on Woodside Cutoff Road, and then north on Water Street.
The parade will feature reoccurring floats, including the Grand Marshal’s Jeep, a jeep platoon with other parade VIPs, the Stevensville Post #94 Veteran’s Float, Legion Riders, and more.
The Community Band will perform the National Anthem following the cannon fire at 10:00 a.m. to signal the start of the parade.
A memorial ceremony at Corvallis Cemetery will follow at 12:00 p.m., featuring the Gettysburg Address, the name readings of every veteran buried there, a rifle salute, and a bugler playing taps.
Registration Details: All clubs, organizations, private and commercial vehicles must register and obtain a parade number to participate. There is no fee to participate in the parade.
Law Enforcement, first responders, U.S. Government, Forest Service, and Active U.S. Military vehicles are exempt and need not register.
Registration is available online through our website or Facebook page.
Use the QR code below to access the registration form directly.
The QR code links to the parade’s online registration page (website/Facebook).
Day-of registration will also be available at the corner of Market Street and Second Street, starting at 7:00 am, and ending at 8:30 am. Judging begins at 9:00am.
We invite valley residents, all veterans, community groups, and local businesses to join us in honoring Vietnam War veterans.
Register your club, organization, float or vehicle today via the QR code, or our Facebook page and our website (https://corvallispost91.blogspot.com/)
Spectators are encouraged to line Main Street prior to the closing of main street at 9:00 am, to enjoy the parade and pay tribute to those who served.
For additional information, contact Doug Mason at 406-546-4244 or visit our website/Facebook page via the QR code.
The Corvallis American Legion Post #91 has proudly organized the Memorial Day Parade for 105 years, bringing the community together to honor veterans and their families.