Lt. Col. Anthony D. Nastri, Usmc Ret.

Lt. Col. Anthony D. “Tony” Nastri, USMC, Ret., age 70, of Bristol, Rhode Island and Murrieta, California died Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at Sunrise Assisted Living of Hemet, California. He is survived by his wife Rita (Viscidi) Nastri, two sons, Mark Nastri and his wife, Dimitra of Pasadena, California and David Nastri and his wife, Annette of Fallbrook, California, his daughter, Victoria Nastri, of Manhattan, New York and a granddaughter, Ekaterini Francesca Nastri. Tony was the only child of the late Antonio and Carmela Nastri, owners of Nastris Market in Bristol. A decorated veteran, he served as the Patriotic Speaker for the 1996 Bristol Fourth of July Celebration, at the time recalling he first marched in the parade in the late 1940s, ringing a replica of the Liberty Bell. Answering the true call of liberty himself as a Marine, Nastri participated in some of the most critical missions of the Cold War including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War and later in the Korean DMZ as the chief of the United Nations Joint Observer Team and member of the UNs Military Armistice Commission. Nastri earned the Purple Heart in November, 1974, when he was wounded in a bomb explosion while investigating a secret North Korean spy tunnel into South Korea under the DMZ. After living all over the world while serving the country, he still called Bristol home. Born and raised there, he graduated from Colt Memorial High School in 1957 where he was a standout football player for three years for Coach Ralph Nash. Nastri was a member of Bristols first Boy Scout troop when George “Dep” Fish was Scoutmaster. Nastri enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in April 1956 while still at Colt High School and was selected Marine Recruit of the Year in 1956 while part of the 2nd 155mm Howitzer Battalion at Fields Point, Providence. As a student at Villanova University, Nastri played varsity football and founded the Villanova Rugby Club, serving as co-captain during his senior year. He also was a member of the Semper Fidelis Society and accepted into the USMC Platoon Leaders Class. In 1961 Nastri was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant at Villanovas graduation. Assigned to the Second Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, NC, Nastri was deployed as part of the blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis in October, 1962. Promoted to Captain in 1965, Nastri attended the Senior Artillery Officers Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and, upon graduation, was assigned to a direct support artillery battalion as the assistant operations officer and later the battalion logistics officer for service in the Republic of Vietnam with the Third Marine Division. From Vietnam, Nastri was assigned to the staff of the Commander in Chief, Naval Forces, Europe, in London, England in 1968. During this tour, he was promoted to Major and reassigned as Commanding Officer, Marine Barracks, London Upon Nastris return to the U. S., he was assigned to Force Troops, Marine Corps Base, 29 Palms, Ca. In 1973, he attended the Defense Intelligence School in Washington, DC and then assigned to the United Nations Command which maintained the official interface with the North Korean and Chinese militaries. After a tour of duty at Camp Pendleton, Ca. he was assigned as the Instructor-Inspector at the Marine Corps Reserve Training Center, Los Angeles, Ca. Promoted to Lt. Col., Nastri, in addition to his normal duties, was named the National Coordinator for the USMCR Toys for Tots program, developing plans for the annual toy drives and seeking celebrity chairpersons for the annual telethon and parade. In 1980, Lt. Col. Nastri was named Director, West Coast Instructional Management School, a school responsible for training and testing instructors for duty in Marine Corps Formal Schools on the West Coast. Nastri completed his Masters Degree in education at National University in San Diego. After 28 years of service, Lt. Col. Nastri retired from the Marine Corps in August, 1984. From his retirement to 2001, Nastri has worked as a Training and Technical Analyst with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, General Electric, Valley Forge, PA, Computer Sciences Corporation and Martin Marietta, Fort Washington, PA. He and his wife, Rita retired to Murrieta, California in 2007 but maintained their Cottage Street residence, spending most Fourth of Julys there. A true citizen of the world, Nastri read the Phoenix regularly to keep up on Bristol friends and events, often saying, “You can take the boy out of Bristol, but never Bristol out of the boy.” Beyond the military, he was an avid outdoor enthusiast and preservationist, enjoying kayaking, gardening, rock climbing and weaving. He was a member of the Herreshoff Marine Museum and the Schuylkill (PA) Canal Association and was a communicant of St. Marthas Church, Murrieta, California. Nastri was a life member of DAV and the Military Officers Association of America. Lt. Col. Nastris Military Awards include: National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba) Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (w “60”device) Navy Commendation Medal (w “v”) (Duty in Vietnam) Vietnam Service Medal (w/4*) Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Commendation Cross Purple Heart Joint Service Commendation Medal (UNC AAD) Meritorious Service Medal Order of Military Merit (Hwa Rang / Korea) Published Articles: Proceedings, United States Naval Institute “The Foot of a Duck” April 1977 Proceedings, United States Naval Institute “USS Tarawa (LHA-1)” January 1977 Proceedings, United States Naval Institute “An Ordinary Joe” November 1978 Proceedings, United States Naval Institute “For Whom the Bell Tolls” November 1983 Funeral services from the Sansone Funeral Home, 192 Wood Street, Bristol, Satruday, March 14, 2009 at 9:00 AM with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM in St. Marys Church, 330 Wood Street, Bristol. Burial with Military Honors will follow in North Burial Ground, Hope Street, Bristol. Visiting hours Friday, March 13, from 4:00-7:00 PM. In Lieu of Flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 8th Ave., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10001 www.alzfdn.org or to Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, P.O. Box 1947, Quantico, VA 22134 www.toysfortots.org.

Service Information Cemetery North Burial Ground 1081 Hope Street Bristol, RI -->