Thomas, Oscar Welborn

Oscar W Thomas

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Significance:

105th Infantry Regiment, US Army

Place of Birth:

Russellville, Kentucky

Date of Birth:

April 28, 1926

Place of Death:

Okinawa, Japan

Date of Death:

April 30, 1945

Place of Burial:

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Cemetery Name:

Stones River National Cemetery

Oscar Welborn Thomas was born on April 28th, 1926 in Russellville, Kentucky to Penelope Barnes and John James Thomas. He was their third son out of five children. Later, his family moved to Hopkinsville, Kentucky where he was high school student and worked on his father's farm. He was described as being 5'6", weighing 135 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

In 1944, he was drafted to serve in World War II in the US Army at the age of 18. Thomas served as a private in the 105th Infantry Regiment of the US Army. When Private Thomas was attached to the 105th, he spent time in Hawaii before being sent to Saipan where he fought on Mount Tapotchau where the 105th gained the island's key defensive position.

On April 10th, 1945, he left for Okinawa where the 105th was tasked with safeguarding the landing beaches on the island itself. They landed on Okinawa on April 12th and 13th and were heavily engaged in an area known as the Kakazu pocket which was located on a well-fortified ridge and cave system. The Japanese had fortified an ideal defensive position in these systems and were mounting an attack with heavy machine gun fire, grenades, and mortar fire.

The first attempt to take the ridge was unsuccessful and only 9 days later on April 21st, they were successful in capturing the position. The 105th accompanied by multiple other Infantry and Marine divisions, pushed further into Okinawa. During their efforts to move further into the island, many lives were lost from the unexpected magnitude of pushback from opposing forces.

Caught in the crossfires, Oscar Welborn Thomas died on April 30th, 1945, just two days after his 19th birthday. He is listed as a battle casualty in the fighting on Okinawa.

He was first buried on family land, but was later interred in the Stones River National Cemetery on April 6th, 1949. He is laid to rest in plot P-6307.