Thomas Talbott Graham was born 16 March 1941 in San Luis Obispo (at least that is what his parents told him as they moved to Southern California when he was 6 months old.) Moving from San Luis Obispo to Pasadena, then Altadena, then finally La Canada, California, where he attended public grammar schools, the local Junior High School, and John Muir High School in Pasadena graduating in 1959. He then attended San José State College where he not only graduated with a BS in Accounting and Finance, but found his future wife, Beverly L. Swartz. After completing his active duty with the US Army and returning to a Reserve Unit he completed his Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Accounting). He worked for Shell Oil Company for 8 years as a computer programmer then went to work for Hewlett-Packard Company in the same job. He retired after 30 years with HP.

His interest in the Civil War started with a term paper he wrote in high school on the Battle of Chancellorsville (a term paper he still has). He has collected books and maps on that battle. After graduating from High School his family took a trip across the United States, and when visiting Gettysburg Battlefield his father pointed to a name on the Pennsylvania Monument and said that that was his Great Grandfather Albert Scott Haynes, Companies I and D, 57th PA, mustered out as a Sergeant in 1865 after the war was over. Subsequent research has developed another direct ancestor and 5 great uncles.

Upon his retirement he sought out the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and joined the Phil Sheridan Camp No. 4 of San Jose, California. He has held the camp offices of Guide, Camp Council, Junior Vice Commander, Senior Vice Commander, and two terms as Camp Commander. He is currently the Camp Treasurer.

Tom is past Department Commander of the Department of California & Pacific. He is also current editor of the Department newsletter. He retired as Adjutant of Company C, 8th California Volunteer Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve in 2017 and was transferred to the Inactive Reserve of the Sons of Veterans Reserve.

Tom lives in San Jose, California with his wife Beverly who has been an active member of the Auxiliary to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (ASUVCW). They have two children: Sheri and Mike, and two grandchildren. Besides his life membership in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Tom is a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), the Camp Curtin Descendants Brigade, the National Genealogical Society, the Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society and is a life member of the American Philatelic Society. He holds an Extra Class Amateur Radio License and is a member of the San José emergency communications group. He is an avid genealogist and is currently working on a biography of his maternal grandfather E. Guy Talbott, a prominent peace activist during the 1930’s.