Ernest Ivy Thomas, Jr.

Ernest Ivy "Boots" Thomas, Jr. (March 10, 1924 – March 3, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps sergeant who was killed in action on March 3, 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He was one of the Marines who raised the first United States flag and flagstaff on top of Mount Suribachi, on Iwo Jima, on February 23, 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism at Mount Suribach on February 21, 1945.

Early life
Ernest Thomas was born in Tampa, Florida, the son of Ernest and Martha Thomas. When he was a child, his family moved to Monticello, Florida. He graduated from high school in Monticello and was attending Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana, studying aeronautical engineering, when he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps at Orlando, Florida. Being color blind, in order to pass the medical test allowing him to enlist, he memorized the patterns provided by a man sitting next to him in the testing station.

U.S. Marine Corps
Thomas enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 27, 1942. He completed "boot" camp at Parris Island, South Carolina and remained there as an instructor. Afterwards he was an instructor at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In March 1944, he was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, CA. In September, his company was sent to Camp Tarawa in Hawaii to train with the 5th division for the Battle of Iwo Jima. In January 1945, the 5th division left for Iwo Jima.

Battle of Iwo Jima

 * February 19, 1945: Sgt. Thomas, a rifle company platoon sergeant with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, landed with the first wave of Marines on Iwo Jima.
 * February 21: Sgt. Thomas took over the 3rd Platoon of Company E from his platoon leader who was wounded. Thomas and his men successfully assaulted a heavily fortified hostile sector at the base of Mount Suribachi which contributed to the eventual capture of Mount Suribachi. Together with his directing of tank fire while under fire during the assaults, it earned him the Navy Cross for his heroic actions that day as the platoon leader.


 * February 23: 1st Lt. Harold Schrier and Sgt. Thomas led a 40-man combat patrol from 3rd Platoon to climb up Mount Suribachi to capture it and raise an American flag on the summit. Thomas, Schrier's platoon sergeant, was one of the Marines who found a piece of Japanese water pipe that became the flagstaff for the first American flag that was raised on Mount Suribachi at 10:20 a.m. Thomas and Sgt. Henry Hansen helped Lt. Schrier (Navy Cross) raise the flag and flagstaff.


 * March 3: Sgt. Thomas is killed by enemy rifle fire on Iwo Jima near the opposite end of the island where Mount Suribachi is located. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal posthumously.

Burial on Iwo Jima
Sgt. Thomas was buried on Iwo Jima until 1948 when his body was returned to Monticello. He was buried at Roseland Cemetery in Jefferson County, Florida.

Military decorations & awards

 * Navy Cross
 * Purple Heart Medal
 * Combat Action Ribbon
 * Presidential Unit Citation with silver 5/16 inch star
 * American Campaign Medal
 * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with bronze service star
 * World War II Victory Medal

Navy Cross citation
The Navy Cross is presented posthumously to Ernest I. Thomas, Jr., United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism as a Rifle Platoon Leader serving with Company E, Second Battalion, Twenty-Eighth Marines, Fifth Marine Division, during action on enemy Japanese-held Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 21 February 1945. When his platoon leader was wounded, Platoon Sergeant Thomas assumed command and, before supporting tanks arrived to cover him, led his men in an assault on a fanatically defended and heavily fortified hostile sector at the base of Mount Suribachi. With the tanks unable to proceed over the rough terrain beyond positions 75 to 100 yards at the rear of our attacking forces, Platoon Sergeant Thomas ran repeatedly to the nearest tank, and in a position exposed to heavy and accurate machine-gun and mortar barrages, directed the fire of the tanks against the Japanese pillboxes which were retarding his platoon's advance. After each trip to the tanks, he returned to his men and led them in assaulting and neutralizing enemy emplacements, continuing to advance against the Japanese with a knife as his only weapon after the destruction of his rifle by hostile fire. Under his aggressive leadership, the platoon killed all the enemy in the sector and contributed materially to the eventual capture of Mount Suribachi. His daring initiative, fearless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty were inspiring to those with whom he served and reflect the highest credit upon Platoon Sergeant Thomas and the United States Naval Service.

Honors
A monument on U.S. Highway 90, Monticello, Florida honors Plt Sgt Thomas. It is inscribed with the following words:

In recognition of Platoon Sergeant Ernest I. Thomas USMCR who on February 23, 1945, led his platoon to raise the first flag on Iwo Jima, the first Japanese territory taken in World War II. On March 3, eight days after the first flag raising and ten days after he earned the Navy Cross for heroism in action, he was killed leading his men in combat. March 10, 1924 - March 3, 1945.

Portrayal in film
In the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, Thomas was played by American actor Brian Kimmet.