Tom Levins, 67, Vietnam War veteran and police officer

TOM LEVINS once told a reporter that the battle for Hill 875 at Dak To in Vietnam in the autumn of 1967, was "probably the longest four days of my life. It was just horrible."

His outfit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, lost a fifth of its total strength in the desperate fight by American airborne forces against regular North Vietnam troops and the Vietcong.

"He went into the Army a happy-go-lucky guy," said his brother, Robert. "He was different when he came back. He had a lot of issues."

Nevertheless, Tom Levins, like many veterans who saw ghastly sights in combat, eventually overcame his trauma, and went on to a successful career as a Philadelphia police officer, gaining promotions and commendations in 28 years of service.

Tom Levins, who spent many years on the Narcotics Strike Force and the Narcotics Field Unit, as well as street duties in high-crime districts, and a devoted family man, died April 1 of complications of colon cancer. He was 67 and lived in Northeast Philadelphia.

Tom was a part of a family of police officers, starting with his father, Francis X. Levins, a detective who died in 2004 at age 84.

Francis was a bodyguard for former Mayor James H.J. Tate, President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., among other dignitaries.

Francis' brother, Thomas, was a police officer, as were Francis' sons: Tom; Robert, who was a retired inspector; Gerard, a captain; and Michael, a narcotics officer. A son-in-law, Frank Manney, was also a police officer.

Tom's wife of 33 years, the former Theresa Staveckas, retired last year as a staff inspector after 33 years on the force.

Tom was born in Philadelphia, the fifth of the eight children of Francis and Charlotte Levins. He graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School and joined the Army. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and after news of the battle of Hill 875 came out, his family had no way of knowing if he had survived.

Then Gen. William Westmoreland came on television to talk about the battle, and footage was shown of the surviving troops.

There was Tom Levins among the embattled troops. It was such a shock that his mother collapsed on the living-room floor. Tom received a Purple Heart medal for wounds. The 173rd Airborne received a Presidential Citation.

After his retirement from the Police Department in 1997, Tom enjoyed spending time at his vacation home in Wildwood Crest, N.J., and attending the many get-togethers of his large family.

Besides his wife, he is survived by five brothers, Frank, Bob, Jerry, Mike and Rich; and two sisters, Charlotte Wolfe and Mary Hemphill.

Services: Funeral Mass 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at St. Christopher Church, 13300 Proctor Road. Friends may call at 6 this evening at the John F. Givnish Funeral Home, 10975 Academy Road. Burial in Forest Hill Cemetery.

Donations may be made to St. Christopher Church, or Save Me No Kill Animal Shelter, 862 N. 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19123.