Clyde A. Thomason
| Clyde A. Thomason | |
|---|---|
 
Sgt Clyde A. Thomason, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient
|
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| Born |
May 23, 1914 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Died | August 17, 1942 (aged 28) KIA on Makin Island |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1934 – 1939, 1942 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 2nd Raider Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
World War II: *Makin Island raid |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal China Service Medal American Defense Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/1 star World War II Victory Medal |
Sergeant Clyde A. Thomason (May 23, 1914 – August 17, 1942) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism at the cost of his life while leading an assault in the Makin Islands on August 17, 1942. Thomason was the first enlisted Marine to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II.
Clyde A. Thomason was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 23, 1914, and after his graduation from high school there, traveled widely throughout the United States in a "jalopy" with companions. In December 1934, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in Savannah, Georgia. Although he was named for his father, at the time of his enlistment he dropped the "A" of his father's name and became known in the Marine Corps simply as Clyde Thomason. This was the name under which he enlisted in 1934 and was the name subsequently used in official Marine Corps records. He later served in the Marine Detachment of the USS Augusta, Flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, and was honorably discharged in 1939 upon the expiration of his enlistment. The day following his discharge, he was retained in the Fleet Marine Force Reserve. When he again became a civilian, he accepted a position with the Albany, Georgia, branch of the Fire Companies Adjustment Bureau, Inc., and Albany became his home in February 1940.
Thomason re-enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in January 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He asked for action, and when Lt. Col. Evans Carlson was organizing his famous Raiders, Thomason volunteered.
Because he was so tall, 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m), and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg); he had to ask for a height waiver to get into the Raiders. He received his training in California before going to the Pacific battlefields in April for duty with the 2nd Raider Battalion.
Letters that he wrote to friends in Albany, Georgia during the time of his service in the Pacific show that he wanted to be "where things are happening." He refused to accept assignments which would keep him away from action.
He wrote of his commanding officer, Lt.Col. Carlson, and of Maj. James Roosevelt, second in command. Lt.Col. Carlson thought so highly of Sgt. Thomason that he selected him to lead the advance element against the Japanese garrison at Butaritari. It was there that Sgt. Thomason's gallantry in action earned him the Medal of Honor.
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Wikipedia