Gerald E. Thomas
| Gerald Eustis Thomas | |
|---|---|
Gerald Thomas pictured with Ronald Reagan in 1982
|
|
| Born |
June 23, 1929 Natick, Massachusetts |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1951–1981 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held |
USS Impervious (MSO-449) USS Bausell (DD-845) Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Nine Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Five |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V Meritorious Service Medal |
Gerald Eustis Thomas (born June 23, 1929), is a former American naval officer, diplomat and academic. He was the second African American to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral in the US Navy.
Thomas was born in Natick, Massachusetts, the son of Walter W. and Leila L. (née Jacobs) Thomas. He was educated at Natick High School, going on to spend a year studying at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln before transferring to Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemical Sciences.
During his time at Harvard, Thomas had been a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps and joined the navy immediately after graduation. He was commissioned as an Ensign on June 1, 1951, serving aboard USS Newman K. Perry (DDR-883) for three years, barring three months spent at the Destroyer Force, US Atlantic Fleet Engineering School in Newport, Rhode Island. In July 1954 he transferred to USS Worcester (CL-144).
Whilst assigned to the Worcester, he attended the Combat Information Center Watch Officer and Day Air Control School in Boston, Massachusetts. He then learned to speak Russian at the Defense Language Institute, qualifying as an interpreter in 1957 and serving at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade.
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