Colonel Philip E. Livermore, US Army (Retired) passed away peacefully at his home in Wallace, North Carolina on Friday, October 6, 2023.
He was born in Merrill, Wisconsin to Philip Lervy Livermore and Alice May Livermore (nee Smith).
Colonel Livermore served most of his 31 years in the US Army with the Medical Service Corps (MSC). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He further earned his Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.
Colonel Livermore entered the military in 1960 via the US Army Reserve while attending college in Wisconsin. In 1961, he completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri following by Advanced Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He served with the US Army Signal Corps (USASC) and earned the rank of Sergeant prior to his commission as an Officer.
Colonel Livermore received his commission through the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Officer Basic Course in 1964. He went on to complete the follow service schools throughout the remainder of his military career: Rotary Wing Aviator Course (1966), Essential Medical Training AMEDD Aviation (1967), Medical Supply/Service Course (1969); Management of Mass Casualties (1969), AMEDD Officer Advanced Course (1969), Command and General Staff College (1979), and Army War College (1989).
Colonel Livermore served in the following assignments: Supply Officer, Evacuation Hospital, Fort Polk, Louisiana (1965); Medical Evacuation Pilot, Aeromedical (AEROMED) Evacuation Detachment, Tan Son Nhat, Vietnam (1966); Medical Evacuation Pilot, Aeromedical (AEROMED) Evacuation Detachment, Fort Benning, Georgia (1967); Aeromedical Operations Officer, Aviation Company, Fort Benning, Georgia (1967); Medical Evacuation Pilot, Medical Company, Seoul, Korea (1968); Flight Platoon Leader, Medical Company, Seoul, Korea (1968); Company Commander, Medical Battalion 4th Armor Division, Germany (1970); Chief, Services Branch, Station Hospital, Shape, Belgium (1970); Associate Governmental Program (AGY), Operations Research Analyst, Bethesda, Maryland (1974); Health Services Materiel Officer, Office of the Surgeon General, Pentagon, Virginia (1977); Chief, Materiel Readiness, US Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA), Fort Detrick, Maryland (1980); Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Pentagon, VA (1982); Chief, Materiel Readiness, US Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA), Fort Detrick, Maryland (1982); Battalion Commander, 32nd Medical Supply, Optical and Medical Maintenance (MEDSOM), Fort Bragg, North Carolina (1984); Chief, Logistics Plans Branch, US Army Element Headquarters Pacific Command (PACOM) Camp Smith, Hawaii (1986); Commander, US Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA), Fort Detrick, Maryland (1988); Chief, Logistics Division, Office of the Surgeon General, Pentagon, Virginia (1990); Assistant Chief of Staff, Logistics, Medical Command (MEDCOM) Headquarters, US Army Central (ARCENT), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; (1990); Chief, Logistics Division, Office of the Surgeon General, Pentagon, Virginia (1991).
During the Vietnam War in 1966, while serving as a MedEvac UH-1 helicopter pilot in Vietnam, a Vietcong sniper targeted his helicopter from the top of a tree line as he was landing to pick up wounded soldiers on the ground. He survived and recovered from two gunshot wounds, one to the right neck and one to the posterior thigh at Fitzsimons Army Hospital, Aurora, Colorado.
Colonel Livermore’s experiences as a former non-commissioned officer and Vietnam War survivor, remained in his mind while serving at the top echelon of leadership in Medical Logistics with US Army Central Command (ARCENT) during the Gulf War from 1990-1991. He lead from the top while always keeping in mind the “boots on the ground” soldiers. He was instrumental in organizing and directing the largest medical logistics support operation since WWII, providing medical equipment, medical supplies, medical equipment maintenance, optical fabrication and a variety of other logistical support services to US military hospitals and other combat medical units throughout the Persian Gulf. His contributions to the victory in the Persian Gulf are best summarized by the following comment from the ARCENT Command Surgeon at the time, which appears on his Officer Efficiency Report: “Phil Livermore is the rock on which Desert Shield/Desert Storm medical support was built”.
Colonel Livermore’s military decorations and awards include: Legion of Merit (1OLC), Distinguished Flying Cross, Antarctica Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4OLC), Air Medal (3), Army Commendation Medal (1OLC), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal (2), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Southwest Asian Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Aviator Badge, Expert Medical Field Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge.
Post military retirement in 1994, Colonel Livermore continued his service with military contracting companies as Project Manager, ITS Medical Systems, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia and Program Director, Combined Logistics Program, DUCOM, Inc, Silver Spring, Maryland. He also served his community as President and on the Board of Directors for the North Village Homes Corporation in Montgomery Village, Maryland from 1998-2002.
After full retirement in 2003, and relocating from the Washington, DC area to the River Landing community in Wallace, NC, Colonel Livermore dedicated much of his time to the Wallace Rotary Club where he served in the position of President from 2006-2007 and 2009-2010. He partnered as Co-Chair with Steve Paes (current Wallace Rotary Club member) on the Wallace Town Clock Project, Veterans Memorial, and Veterans Memorial commemorative bench and bricks to honor the military service of local community members. He was instrumental in helping the club to achieve 501c3 status and dedicated his time to filing the club taxes each year. He also served as Assistant Governor for Rotary District 7730 area 7 from 2010-2013 and was a major financial donor to the Wallace Rotary Club.
He will be remembered by his family for his love of everything related to Wisconsin: cheese, beer brats and all German food. Mason Companies Shoes and Duluth Trading Company. College and professional sports teams: Wisconsin Badgers football and basketball, Milwaukee Brewers and especially the Green Bay Packers “Go Pack Go”!
He is preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Alice Livermore; father-in-law and mother in-law William (Betty) Puckett; sisters, Leona (Bill) Lindecker, Lorraine (Larry) Riemer; brother Roger (Joyce) Livermore; brother’s-in-law Eddie Meyer; Arthur Hoy; William (Sharon) Puckett; George Puckett; Gerry (Geraldine) Puckett; Ronald (Julie) Puckett.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Virginia Belle Livermore (nee Puckett); daughter, Candice Robin Livermore (Brett Harold Likens, fiancé; Brett’s parents Harold and Maria Likens); sisters, Wanda Meyer and Darlene Livermore; sister-in-law Bonnie Hoy and the following nieces and nephews: Sandi (Michael) Stegall, Rich (Kathy) Lindecker, Bob (Sylvia) Lindecker, Bonita Biermier (John Skaar), Paul (Laurie) Riemer, Andy Riemer, Carol (Joe) Day, Ray (Cindy) Meyer, Ronald (Ann) Meyer, Kathy (Dale) Thompson, Jean (Todd) Sutton, Mike (Angie) Livermore, Susan (Bob) Ellman; Susan (Craig) Cannon, Sheryl (Gabby) Obegi, Sonia Falaschi, David (Camille) Hoy, Sara (late Dave) Manson, Brent Puckett, Carrie (Randy) Teynor, Cassie (Josh) Garrett), Gerry (Sara) Puckett.
Memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 6pm at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home, 612 S Norwood St, Wallace, NC 28466. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home. Contributions in the memory of Colonel Livermore may be made to the Wallace Rotary Club in Wallace, North Carolina, Rotary International, American Diabetes Association and National Kidney Foundation.
Colonel Livermore’s final resting place will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia with full military honors. This is a tremendous honor to his family, wife Virginia Livermore (Army Veteran/1LT) who served on active duty (1966-1968) as an Army Nurse and is a civil service retiree nurse from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), Bethesda, Maryland and daughter Candice Livermore (Army Veteran/SSG, MP) who served a combination of active duty (2003-2008) and civil service (2008-2017) for 14 years with the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard”, at Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall, Fort McNair, DC and Arlington National Cemetery.
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Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home of Wallace is serving the family.
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