PVT Neal D. Thomas

PVT Neal D. Thomas was born 1 Dec 1913 in Rogersville, Tennessee. He was the 5th of the 8 children born to Robert Looney and Nocie Lee (Ward) Thomas. The family farmed in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Neal's education did not go beyond grammar school and he moved to Greeneville, Tennessee to work. He married Minnie Ellis Hashbarger in 1938 and the couple rented a place at 338 Locust Street in Greeneville for $8 a month. Life wasn't easy for the couple, they reported a combined 1939 income of $394 from their work at the Austin Company, a local tobacco factory/warehouse. 

Neal was drafted in August 1943. Minnie died of influenza in January 1944 and we don't know if Neal was able to attend her funeral before departing for England in February. He transferred from the replacement depot to F Company 116th Infantry on 13 Jun 1944 as the unit struggled to continue pushing the Germans and replace losses from D-Day just 7-days earlier. PVT Thomas was killed in action on 19 Jun 1944. 

Neal had 2 brothers who served during the war. T4 Jay C. Thomas served in a U.S. military hospital in Ireland. PFC Charlie Drexel Thomas served in France. Grandfather, Andrew Jackson Thomas, served as a CPL in E Company 1st Tennessee Cavalry (USA) during the Civil War.