Vietnam War
| Unit | 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron |
|---|---|
| Rank | Technical Sergeant U.S. Air Force |
| Entered Service From | Ft. Walton Beach Florida |
| Date of Death | November 25 1971 |
| Status | Missing In Action |
| Memorialized |
Courts of the Missing
Court
A
Honolulu Memorial |
Notes
Technical Sergeant Thomas was a member of the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Bien Hoa Airbase, South Vietnam. On November 25, 1971, he was a para-rescue man in a Sikorsky Sea Stallion Search and Rescue Helicopter (HH-53C) on a rescue mission of 14 American survivors whose CH46 had crashed south of Can Tho, South Vietnam. After the rescue, his helicopter was returning to Bien Hoa, when it received hostile fire and crashed in the Song Nha Be River near Nha Be, Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.