Col. Arthur Paul Lombardi USA (Ret)

1923 - 2010

Colonel Arthur P. Lombardi, USA (Ret.) passed on September 1, 2010 at Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville, TN. He was 86 years old. Col. Lombardi was born December 8, 1923 in Canton Ohio, the son of Pasquale and Maria Lombardi. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers John, Hermando, and sister Mary Beidenbach. He is survived by his wife Dolores Long Lombardi, daughters Barbara White (Ray) of Reno, Nevada, Teena-Marie Ray (Wilbur) of Edmonton, Alberta, sons Timothy Lombardi (Donna) of Tustin, California and James Patrick Lombardi (Corrine) of Sisters, Oregon and sister Violet of Canton, Ohio. He has six grandchildren and three great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Career military man, Col. Lombardi entered the Army in February, 1943, rose to the rank of first Sergeant on New Guinea and received a battlefield commission on Luzon P.I. in 1945. During a military career that spanned 35 years, he served in three wars; WW II, Korea and Vietnam. His awards and decorations include the Army's Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, the Soldiers Medal, three Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Vietnamese Distinguished Service Order, the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with palm and others. He was a master parachutist and made two combat jumps.
Colonel Lombardi is a graduate of the University of Omaha, the Army's Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the Army War College.
Key assignments included the command of three Airborne Field Artillery batteries, an Airborne Field Artillery Batallion, a position with General Westmoreland's staff in Vietnam, Deputy Senior Advisor to the Vietnamese Airborne Division, Chief of Logistics, Post Commander of NATO in Naples, Italy and Deputy Post Commander here in Fort Campbell Kentucky. Following his retirement in 1978 he was appointed by the Department of the Army as the first honorary Colonel of the 320th Field Artillery Battalion.
Colonel Lombardi was a lifetime member of the American Legion, the V.F.W., the 11th Airborne Division Association, the 101st Airborne Division Association, the Military order of the Purple Heart and the 187th Airborne Division Association.
After retiring from the Army, Colonel Lombardi became the Military Relations Officer for the Fort Campbell Federal Credit Union, a position he held for 22 years. He was appointed as a member of the Credit Union in 2005 and was elected to a three year term in 2007.
Colonel Lombardi was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic parish for the past 30 years. Visitation will be on Monday, September 6th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the funeral home and a vigil service will follow. A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, September 7th at 11 a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church. Burial will take place following church services at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-West in Hopkinsville. Funeral Services will be arranged by Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home. A Celebration of life will be held at Clarksville Country Club at 2 p.m. On-line condolences may be sent to art.lombardi@charter.net">art.lombardi@charter.net">art.lombardi@charter.net">art.lombardi@charter.net
Memorial contributions may be made to Immaculate Conception St. Mary's School , Fort Campbell Army EmRelief Fund, or the Wings of Liberty Museum.