Albert J. McAdoo

McAdoo, Albert J, Massachusetts native; longtime Tampa resident died peacefully on June 25, 2024, at the age of 92.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts February 19, 1932, he was the son of William A. and Catherine E. (Yore) McAdoo.

An early graduate of Arlington, MA High School's class of 1951, Mr. McAdoo immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army.

After completing basic training and leadership school he was then ordered to report to Fort Lawson in Seattle, WA. From there, after 16 days of travel, he arrived in Japan where he was assigned to the 5th Regimental Combat Team (5th RCT). He then traveled to Korea arriving in January 1952. His unit was assigned to reinforce other units in guarding over 175,000 United Nations prisoners of war. Following an intensive training program, he received a new combat assignment to the Punchbowl area of North Korea. For 138 days he endured daily combat during which he was wounded with grenade shrapnel. He was therefore awarded the Purple Heart. He was then transferred to Fort Devens, MA and then to Fort Dix, NJ, where in April 1954, he was honorably discharged as a first Sergeant.

Following his discharge, he used the GI Bill to purchase a hog farm in Pepperell, Massachusetts. He sold the farm to his father in 1960 after which he took a position as an agent for the Right of Way Dept for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, retiring in December of 1989. In his desire to find the perfect place to retire, he drove south to Texas, across Louisiana and finally settling in Tampa.

He was a volunteer with the Hillsborough County Veteran's Memorial Park and was active in many veteran organizations, as well as being an officer and member of the 5th RTC Association for Korean War veterans of that outfit. Additionally, he had the honor of representing Korean War Veterans when their remains were repatriated.

He was the author of two books on the 5thRCT in Korea, "The 5th RCT in Korea: The Pusan Perimeter Battles, 1950" and "I'll Try Sir!: Soldiering with the 5th RCT in Korea, 1952", as well as many articles for veteran's magazines and the 5th RCT magazine.

He was predeceased in death by his parents four brothers, William, John Paul, Warren and Donald and one sister Mary. He is survived by many nieces and nephews and numerous friends.

He will be laid to rest with military honors at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts on July 19, 2024.

Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.

Donations in his memory may be made to the VFW National Home for Children at vfwnationalhome.org/donate