Tom Curtis was born in Teague, Texas, in 1932. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Air Force on October 30, 1952, and was awarded his pilot wings and commission a 2d Lt in the Air Force at Bryan AFB, Texas, on December 18, 1954. Lt Curtis next attended helicopter pilot training, graduating in September 1955, followed by service as an H-19 Chickasaw and HU-16 Albatross pilot with the 47th Air Rescue Squadron at Ellington AFB, Texas, until September 1956. He then served as a T-29 Flying Classroom pilot with the 3608th Navigator Training Squadron at Ellington AFB from September 1956 to March 1958, and then with the 3537th Navigator Training Squadron at Mather AFB, California, from April 1958 to October 1959. Capt Curtis then served as a helicopter pilot, Assistant Base Operations Officer, and then Base Operations Officer with he 38th Tactical Missile Wing and the 38th Air Base Group at Sembach AB, West Germany, from October 1959 to November 1962, followed by service as an HH-43B Huskie helicopter pilot and then Detachment Commander with Detachment 37, Central Air Rescue Center, at England AFB, Louisiana, from November 1962 to February 1964. He served as Commander of Detachment 9, Central Air Rescue Center, at England AFB from February 1964 until he deployed to Southeast Asia in April 1965. Capt Curtis flew HH-43B rescue helicopters with Detachment 3 of the 38th Air Rescue Squadron at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from April 1965 until his helicopter was shot down over North Vietnam and he was taken as a Prisoner of War on September 20, 1965. After spending 2,702 days in captivity, Col Curtis was released during Operation Homecoming on February 12, 1973. After recovering from his injuries at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, he attended Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, from August 1973 to June 1974. Col Curtis then served as Director of Operations for the Air Force Helicopter Training School, the 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing, at Hill AFB, Utah, and then at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, until his retirement from the Air Force on September 1, 1977. After retiring from the Air Force, Tom taught Spanish and World Geography in Texas public schools for twelve years.

His Air Force Cross Citation reads:

The Air Force Cross is presented to Thomas Jerry Curtis, Captain, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as Senior Pilot of a HH-43B helicopter over North Vietnam on 20 September 1965. On that date Captain Curtis participated in an extremely hazardous attempted recovery of a downed pilot. This mission required a flight of over 80 miles, mostly over hostile controlled territory. Evaluation of the environment in which the downed pilot was located indicated that maximum performance would be demanded from each crew member, if successful recovery was to be effected. Though exposed to intensive hostile ground fire, Captain Curtis, with complete disregard for his own safety, performed with courage and professional precision in a supreme effort to rescue a fallen comrade. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Captain Curtis reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.