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Ralph Wallace Thomas

US Navy Reserve | Service Number 624 47 41
Born

January 7, 1925
in Birmingham, AL

Parents

Roy Merritt Thomas (d. 1938)
Willie Mae (Bowman) Thomas (d. 1931)

School

Details unknown

Pre-War Employment

Details unknown

Entered Service

March 9, 1942
in Houston, TX

Time with First Battalion

Joined 3/6/1943 from Headquarters, Marine Corps Base New River
Left (wounded) 3/9/1945 to hospital

Left Service

12/29/1970
Died

Home Address and Next of Kin

307 East Lamar Street, San Antonio, Texas – home of aunt, Lupah Albina Thomas
Prior to enlisting, Ralph lived at Buckner’s Orphans Home in Dallas, Texas

Campaigns
Operation TORCH, invasion of North Africa

Outfit: USS John Penn (APA 23)
Rank: Hospital Apprentice, Second Class

Roi-Namur

Outfit: Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines
Rank: Pharmacist’s Mate, Third Class
MOS: Corpsman

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines
Rank: Pharmacist’s Mate, Third Class
MOS: Corpsman

Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines
Rank: Pharmacist’s Mate, Third Class
MOS: Corpsman

Campaign Narrative

Iwo Jima

Outfit: Headquarters Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines
Rank: Pharmacist’s Mate, Third Class
MOS: Corpsman
Important Events:
March 9, 1945 – wounded in action (grenade shrapnel, both feet); evacuated

Campaign Narrative

After leaving battalion

Ralph Thomas served in the US Navy in the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He was on active duty as a Hospitalman First Class when he died in Billings, Montana, in 1970.

Decorations

Medal
Navy Cross
Purple Heart

Campaign
Iwo Jima (3/9/1945)
Iwo Jima (3/9/1945)

Citation
Read

Service Stories

“I remember a corpsman who was tending to a wounded friend of mine in a shell hole when a Jap grenade came rolling in. The thought to save himself apparently did not even occur to him, he shoved it into one corner of the hole and covered it with both feet and took the explosion himself…. He had just recently been assigned to the third machine gun platoon and he hardly knew any of us.”
– John C. Pope, Angel On My Shoulder

Ralph died on December 29, 1970 and is buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas.
Gallery

2 thoughts on “Ralph W. Thomas”

  1. Pingback: Photo Identification: Corpsmen | First Battalion, 24th Marines

  2. Looking for NOK of Ralph W Thomas, WIA 3/9/45, Iwo Jima

    Had brothers: William and Allen Thomas

    Need obit, died 12/29/70.

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