Ernest Ivy Thomas, Jr.
| Ernest Ivy Thomas, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 February 23, 1945: SSgt. Louis Lowery's (Leatherneck Magazine) photo of the first flag flown on Mount Suribachi: Left to right: Pfc. Raymond Jacobs (radio), Lt. Harold Schrier (crouched behind Jacobs), Sgt. Henry Hansen (cap), Pvt. Phil Ward (holding pipe) Plt. Sgt. Ernest Thomas (sitting), PhM2c John "Doc" Bradley, USN (holding pipe), Cpl. Charles Lindberg (standing), and Pfc. James Michaels (holding rifle). | |
| Nickname(s) | Boots |
| Born |
March 10, 1924 Tampa, Florida |
| Died |
March 3, 1945 (aged 20) Iwo Jima |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1942-1945 |
| Rank | Platoon Sergeant |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines |
| Battles/wars |
World War II *Battle of Iwo Jima |
| Awards |
Navy Cross Purple Heart Medal Combat Action Ribbon Presidential Unit Citation |
Ernest Ivy "Boots" Thomas, Jr. (March 10, 1924 – March 3, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps platoon sergeant who was killed in action on March 3, 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He was one of the Marines who raised the first American flag on Mount Suribachi, on February 23, 1945.[1] Thomas was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism at Mount Suribach on February 21, 1945.
Early life
Ernest Thomas was born in Tampa, Florida, the son of Ernest and Martha Thomas. When he was a child, his family moved to Monticello, Florida.[2] He graduated from high school in Monticello and was attending Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana, studying aeronautical engineering, when he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps at Orlando, Florida.[3] Being color blind, in order to pass the medical test allowing him to enlist, he memorized the patterns provided by a man sitting next to him in the testing station.[4]
World War II
U.S. Marine Corps
Thomas enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 27, 1942. He completed "boot" camp at Parris Island, South Carolina and remained there as an instructor. Afterwards, he was an instructor at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In March 1944, he was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, CA. In September, his company was sent to Camp Tarawa in Hawaii to train with the 5th division for the Battle of Iwo Jima. In January 1945, the 5th division left for Iwo Jima.
Raising the flag on Iwo Jima
On February 19, 1945, Sgt. Thomas, a rifle company platoon sergeant with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, landed with the first wave of Marines on Iwo Jima. On February 21, Thomas took over the 3rd Platoon, Company E, from his platoon commander who was wounded. Thomas and his men successfully assaulted a heavily fortified hostile sector at the base of Mount Suribachi which contributed to the eventual capture of Mount Suribachi on February 23. Thomas directed tank fire while under fire during assaults, and combined with other actions that day, he earned for himself the Navy Cross.[5]On February 23, 1st Lt. Harold Schrier (Navy Cross) led a 40-man combat patrol (mostly from 3rd Platoon, Company E) up Mount Suribachi to attack and capture the summit and raise an American flag. Thomas, Schrier's platoon sergeant on the patrol, was one of the Marines who found a section of Japanese water pipe on the summit that became the flagpole for the first American flag and flagstaff that was raised on Mount Suribachi at 10:20-10:35 a.m.[6] On February 25, Thomas reported aboard the flagship USS Eldorado for a press interview about the flag-raising and said that Lt. Schrier, Sgt. Henry Hansen, and he, had actually raised the flag. On March 3, Thomas was killed by enemy rifle fire on the north end of Iwo Jima, opposite where Mount Suribachi is located on the island. Thomas was awarded the Navy Cross (for February 21 action) and the Purple Heart Medal posthumously.
Burial on Iwo Jima
Thomas was buried on Iwo Jima. In 1948, his body was returned to Monticello from Iwo Jima. He was buried at Roseland Cemetery in Jefferson County, Florida.[7]
Military awards
Thomas's U.S. military decorations and awards:
- Navy Cross
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3⁄16 bronze star
- World War II Victory Medal
Navy Cross citation
| “ | The Navy Cross is presented posthumously to ERNEST I. THOMAS, JR., UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE, for extraordinary heroism as a Rifle Platoon Leader serving with Company E, Second Battalion, Twenty-Eighth Marines, Fifth Marine Division, during action on enemy Japanese-held Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 21 February 1945. When his platoon leader was wounded, Platoon Sergeant THOMAS assumed command and, before supporting tanks arrived to cover him, led his men in an assault on a fanatically defended and heavily fortified hostile sector at the base of Mount Suribachi. With the tanks unable to proceed over the rough terrain beyond positions 75 to 100 yards at the rear of our attacking forces, Platoon Sergeant THOMAS ran repeatedly to the nearest tank, and in a position exposed to heavy and accurate machine-gun and mortar barrages, directed the fire of the tanks against the Japanese pillboxes which were retarding his platoon's advance. After each trip to the tanks, he returned to his men and led them in assaulting and neutralizing enemy emplacements, continuing to advance against the Japanese with a knife as his only weapon after the destruction of his rifle by hostile fire. Under his aggressive leadership, the platoon killed all the enemy in the sector and contributed materially to the eventual capture of Mount Suribachi. His daring initiative, fearless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty were inspiring to those with whom he served and reflect the highest credit upon Platoon Sergeant THOMAS and the United States Naval Service. | ” |
Other honors
A monument on U.S. Highway 90, Monticello, Florida, honors Thomas. It is inscribed with the following words:[2]
| “ | In recognition of Platoon Sergeant Ernest I. Thomas USMCR who on February 23, 1945, led his platoon to raise the first flag on Iwo Jima, the first Japanese territory taken in World War II. On March 3, eight days after the first flag raising and ten days after he earned the Navy Cross for heroism in action, he was killed leading his men in combat. March 10, 1924 - March 3, 1945. |
” |
Portrayal in film
In the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, Thomas was played by American actor Brian Kimmet.
Notes
- ↑ On February 23, 1945, the American flag was raised twice on Mount Suribachi. The smaller first flag was raised in the morning and captured on film by U.S. Marine photographer Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery. The iconic second flag raising occurred around noon and was captured on film by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. See Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Boots Thomas", Jefferson County.
- ↑ "TSU Remembers Thomas". Thunderbolt TSU Alumni Newsletter. April–May 2005. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ↑ Snowden, 2005
- ↑ Bradley, J. Powers, R. Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima.
- ↑ "Boots Thomas, Jr.", FindAGrave.
References
- "Boots Thomas and Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima". History and Culture. Jefferson County, Florida. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
- Snowden, LtGen. Larry (February 23, 2005). (Speech). Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, Marines Memorial Club and Hotel, San Francisco, California http://www.marineclub.com/Events/SpeechTranscripts/Transcripts.asp?speech=GenSnowdenSpeech. Retrieved 2007-01-17. Missing or empty
|title=(help).
- Marling, Karal Ann Marling and John Wetenhall (1991). Iwo Jima: Monuments, Memories, and the American Hero. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-46980-1.
- "Navy Cross Awards to members of the U.S. Marines in World War II". HomeofHeroes.com. Archived from the original on 2006-08-28. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- "Boots Thomas Jr.". FindAGrave.com. Retrieved 2007-01-17.