Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima

Sgt. Ernest I. ("Boots") Thomas, Jr. was born in Tampa, Florida, on March 10, 1924.
      His family moved to Monticello when he was a child and he attended public school here.
      Sgt. Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Marines in 1942, six months after Pearl Harbor.
      A monument on US Highway 90, West Washington Street, in Monticello memorializes
      Boots Thomas, stating:

 
      IN RECOGNITION OF PLATOON SERGEANT ERNEST I. THOMAS, U.S.M.C.R.
      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 3rd, 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

                                                           

---

All Rights Reserved Disclaimer notice: The FL-GenWeb Project is a Non-Commercial, All-Volunteer Organization and is not connected in any way with USGenWeb, Inc.