PFC Earl Thomas Jr

courtesy of James Burke

PFC Earl Thomas Jr was the first born of 3 children of William Earl and Julia (McElhannon) Thomas. He was born 5 Jun 1923 in Cisco, Texas. His mother died in 1930 and Earl was apparently sent to an orphanage in Corsicana, Texas and was still living there when he registered for the draft in 1942. Earl had only completed 3 years of high school.

Earl was drafted in June 1943. Sent to the European theater after completing his basic military training, PVT Thomas was assigned to M Company 116th Infantry in early 1944. He was with the unit on D-Day, 6 Jun 1944, in the amphibious landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. He was wounded on 8 Jun 1944 by artillery fragments in a wrist and foot and sent to hospital. He returned to the unit via the replacement depot on 9 Aug 1944. Earl was promoted to PFC on 10 Aug 1944. PFC Thomas then fought with the unit through the campaign to liberate Brest and through the Netherlands into northern Germany. PFC Thomas was wounded by artillery fragments in the back into a lung, evacuated to hospital and died of his wound(s) there on 25 Oct 1944. 

PFC Thomas was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in Lincoln Memorial Park in Portland, Oregon.