Tom Fitzpatrick was born September 6, 1924 in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.  His father was a Great War artillery veteran who ran a grocery business after the war, until the Great Depression led to a significant economic downturn in the area.  He was able to find employment in an elevator factory as the war drew closer, so the family made ends meet well enough, especially with their garden and plentiful game.  Tom went to Seven Dolors Catholic grade school in Wyndmoor and graduated from Northeast Catholic High School in 1942. Growing up in Wyndmoor, he worked in the Wyndmoor-based USDA lab during high school, a job that had significant influence on his life – and one that he was given back after the war. In 1943, at age 18, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and went into training which took him from Florida to Minnesota and many places in between. Tom had hoped to earn a commission and be an officer, but it did not work out, and he was assigned to a B-17 bomber crew as a radio operator.  After crossing the Atlantic, Tom arrived in Foggia, Italy, in December 1943, and joined the 2nd Bomb Group/96th Bombardment Squadron of the 15th Air Force. He participated in the European campaign and completed 30 dangerous bombing missions over Nazi-occupied Europe, confronting flak, fighters and the freezing cold temperatures. With the end of the war Tom was sent home in advance of his other crew members; he was put on a Victory ship and made his way back to Pennsylvania.  In October 1945, Tom was officially discharged with the rank of tech sergeant, and after the war, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill and completed his education all the way through to a PhD. As a biochemist, Tom had 30 scientific papers published and was one of the scientists who contributed to the discovery of prenatal vitamins and Lactaid for people who are lactose-intolerant.  He was interviewed by Scott Masters at his home in Flourtown, Pennsylvania in July 2025.