CW5 (Ret.) Antonio B. Eclavea,

September 19, 1939 - August 30, 2017

CW5 Antonio "Tony" B. Eclavea, 77, Indianapolis, originally of Guam, passed away at his son’s home in De Pere, WI on August 30, 2017, (54th wedding anniversary) with family at his side. Born Sept. 19, 1939, in Dededo, Guam, he is the son of the late Antoino R. and Manuela (Benavente) Eclavea. He married Ngoc A. “RoseMarie” Yong on August 30, 1963. Tony served 11 years in the US Air Force, where he rose to the rank of Master Sergeant. He transitioned to the U.S. Army for the opportunity to become a warrant officer, and attended Adjutant General’s Corps Military Personnel Officer Course in 1969. Over the next 30 years, Tony served tours of duty in Vietnam, Taiwan, Germany, and the Republic of Korea, as well as in numerous other stateside locations. In 1992, the CW5 grade was created in order to retain the most senior and the most experienced warrant officers in service. Tony earned the distinction of being the first Army warrant officer to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the Adjutant General’s Corp. Over the course of his military career, he received many military awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. Tony retired in 1999, serving his last post at the Chief of Staff of the Army. He subsequently served an additional 13 years in the U.S. Civil Service. With his establishment of Warrant Officer Senior Leadership Council, Tony was regarded by many as a major pioneer in the leadership history of the Army’s Warrant Officer Corps. In 2010, he was inducted into the U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps Hall of Fame. Tony is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ngoc “RoseMarie”; four sons and their families, Johnny, Michael, Dr. Anthony and Karen (Alex), and Mark and Melody; brothers and sisters, Francisco (Lourdes) Eclavea, Teresita (Roman) Benavente, Albert (Anna) Eclavea, and Peter (Elaine) Eclavea; sister-in-law, Alicia Eclavea; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers and two sisters-in-law, Lucerio (Rose), Vicente, and David (Katrina). CW5 (Ret.) Antonio B. Eclavea's burial in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors will be announced at a later date. Malcore (East) Funeral Home is honored to service this hero and his family. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, donations may be made at www.youcaring.com/CW5EclaveaSurvivorFund for the benefit of RoseMarie and their son, Michael.