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| Staff Sergeant John Thomas, 3rd Infantry Division, earned three Purple Heart medals. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6823589 |
John Thomas never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on October 21, 1917 in Ohio. His parents Ralph and Maude were also both born in Ohio. His father worked as a heat worker in a steel forge works. John had six younger brothers and three younger sisters. By 1940 John had completed two years of high school. He was still living at home and worked as a truck driver.
He enlisted in the army on August 21, 1940. He became a staff sergeant in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Sgt. Thomas was part of the first American fighting against the Germans in North Africa. He was wounded in Tunisia but returned to his unit in time for the invasion of Sicily. While fighting on mainland of Italy he was wounded again at Salerno. He rejoined Company L in time for the Battle of Anzio. He died on May 24, 1944, most likely during a night attack toward Cisterna that encountered enemy machine-guns and mortars.
His grave is at Fountain Cemetery in Fostoria, Ohio.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100
Thanks for this. Knowing the sacrifices of this large group of soldiers is so sad. But I still identify with a group. With a face and personal stories, they become our townspeople, our neighbors, our friends, our family. I can feel the loss of each individual person who braved horrendous situations, lived day and night with the threat of death, and ultimately gave their life to ensure our freedom. My sadness is compounded - as should be - with respect and thanks to each soldier and their families. Thanks again for presenting these posts.
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