United States of America
U.S. Navy · United States 
Lieutenant Commander Otis Vincent Tolbert served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years and 5 months. Otis served with the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot. Otis served in the Cold War, the War in Afghanistan and the Global War on Terrorism, and during the years of Gulf War. Otis was 38 years old.
How He Died
Manner
Homicide
Cause
Multiple traumatic injuries
Place
Virginia
Biography
Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, assistant officer in charge of the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot. Known as Vince.
He played football well enough at Lemoore High School to win a scholarship to Fresno State, where he took a degree in criminal justice in 1985, and was commissioned out of Officer Candidate School in 1989. He served aboard the Niagara Falls and deployed from Guam for Desert Storm in 1991, then transferred laterally into naval intelligence in December 1993.
He returned to sea aboard the Constellation, deploying to the Arabian Gulf for Southern Watch, and was made assistant intelligence officer while still a lieutenant - a post usually held by lieutenant commanders and above. At Central Command from 1996 he led collection management in the Joint Intelligence Center, supporting operations over Iraq and Afghanistan and the targeting for Desert Fox and Southern Watch.
He came to the Office of Naval Intelligence in April 2000, and after a year was hand-picked for the Intelligence Plot at the Pentagon.
He played football well enough at Lemoore High School to win a scholarship to Fresno State, where he took a degree in criminal justice in 1985, and was commissioned out of Officer Candidate School in 1989. He served aboard the Niagara Falls and deployed from Guam for Desert Storm in 1991, then transferred laterally into naval intelligence in December 1993.
He returned to sea aboard the Constellation, deploying to the Arabian Gulf for Southern Watch, and was made assistant intelligence officer while still a lieutenant - a post usually held by lieutenant commanders and above. At Central Command from 1996 he led collection management in the Joint Intelligence Center, supporting operations over Iraq and Afghanistan and the targeting for Desert Fox and Southern Watch.
He came to the Office of Naval Intelligence in April 2000, and after a year was hand-picked for the Intelligence Plot at the Pentagon.
Survivors
His wife Shari, their children Amanda, Brittany and Anthony, his parents Otis and Nancy, and his brothers Daniel and Chris.
Tributes
1
I did not know you personally, but I know your name now, and I know you were taken.
Keepsakes
Service Record
Conflicts
Awards & Decorations
7
Memorials
National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
Line 1962
Also Remembered
September 11, 2001 — The Pentagon
Burial Information
Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Section
64
Grave
4763
In Our Keeping
Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krcs0vjh2b8hhjwgqd7ch6a6
Record added
August 8, 2026
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Last updated
September 30, 2026
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Shadow Box
Otis Vincent Tolbert
Lieutenant Commander
U.S. Navy
1989 - 2001
Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot
