Gerald W. Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1919-07-03)July 3, 1919 Small, Idaho,U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 2013(2013-07-31) (aged 94) |
| Education | John Muir High School |
| Alma mater | Pasadena Junior College University of Idaho(B.S.,Forestry, 1941) Texas A&M University(M.S.,Wildlife Management, 1951;Ph.D., Wildlife Management, 1954) |
| Occupation(s) | President Emeritus ofNew Mexico State University author veteran of World War II |
Gerald W. Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1919-07-03)July 3, 1919 Small,Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 2013(2013-07-31) (aged 94) |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Air Medals Presidential Unit Citations |
Gerald Waylett Thomas (July 3, 1919 – July 31, 2013) was President Emeritus ofNew Mexico State University, a veteran of World War II, and an author.
Gerald W. Thomas was born at home on the Daniel Thomas ranch on Medicine Lodge Creek, Small, Idaho on July 3, 1919. His parents were Daniel Waylett Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Evans. Thomas was the second oldest of six sons.[1][2]
Thomas attended the local Medicine Lodge school through the 11th grade, the last grade the school offered. He moved toPasadena,California, and finished high school atJohn Muir High School.[3] He attendedPasadena Junior College for two years and then obtained a Bachelor of Science degree inForestry in February, 1941, from theUniversity of Idaho, atMoscow,Idaho.[2]
In 1950, he enrolled inTexas A&M University, atCollege Station, Texas, where he obtained a MS degree inWildlife Management in 1951 and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Management in 1954 (called Range Management then).[4]
On February 5, 1942, Thomas volunteered for the Navy. He passed his "B-check" in aN3N "Yellow Peril" at the “Elimination Base” atLos Alamitos,California, on July 2, 1942. Assigned to Naval Aviation School,Corpus Christi,Texas, he graduated with an Ensign Commission on November 27, 1942. He then received six weeks of dive-bomber training atNaval Air Station Miami inOpa-locka, Florida.[5]
In January, 1943, Thomas was assigned toTorpedo Squadron Four (VT-4) attached to theUSS Ranger (CV-4).VT-4 was a 9-planeGrumman TBF Avenger unit with 12 pilots and 2 non-flying officers. It was a part ofAir Group 4 along with a 16-plane fighter squadron (VF-4) and a 16-plane dive bomber squadron (VB-4).[6]
Thomas' first combat action wasOperation Leader,[6] a strike on German shipping along the coast ofNorway on October 4, 1943. On that strike, while attacking a freight barge carrying 40 tons of ammunition, Thomas' plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The engine began burning and it appeared the plane was going down. Thomas ordered his crew of two to bail out and had just opened the cockpit and was climbing out when his turret gunner yelled, "Don't jump, don't jump." The other crewman had accidentally opened his parachute in the belly of the plane. With bailing no longer possible, Thomas considered his options and decided their best chance was to fly the plane toward the carrier as far as it would go. Surprisingly, in spite of the considerable engine damage, the plane made it back to the Ranger, where Thomas crash-landed.[7][8] That landing was his 13th official carrier landing.[9]
On June 26, 1944, Air Group 4 was ordered off the Ranger and to the West Coast of the United States for an assignment in the Pacific. After some time on the West Coast and some time training inHawaii, Air Group 4 was ordered aboard theUSS Bunker Hill (CV-17) on November 4, 1944. On the Bunker Hill, Thomas participated in strikes againstOrmoc Bay,Manila Bay, andCavite in the Philippines. During this combat period, Air Group 4 lost seven pilots and four crewmen.[8]
On November 18, 1944, Air Group 4 was assigned to theUSS Essex (CV-9). On theEssex, Thomas participated in strikes againstSanta Cruz,San Fernando,Lingayen,Mindoro,Clark Field,Aparri,Formosa,French Indo-China,Saigon,Pescadores,Hainan,Amami O Shima,Iwo Jima,Okinawa, andJapan. The attack on Japan was the first attack on Japan from an aircraft carrier since the "Doolittle Raid."[8][10]
While on theEssex, just after Thomas had returned from a strike on Santa Cruz, the ship was hit by aKamikaze flying aYokosuka D4Y dive bomber. The Kamikaze attack killed 16 crewmen and wounded 44.[8][10]
Returning from a strike on Hainan, off the Chinese coast, Thomas' plane ran out of fuel. After a harrowing water landing, Thomas and his crewmen succeeded in inflating and launching rubber boats. After a long day in pre-Typhoon weather with 40 foot swells, they were rescued by theUSS The Sullivans (DD-537).[8]
On March 2, 1945, Air Group 4 was assigned non-combat duty and transferred off theEssex.[10] Thomas was awarded 3Distinguished Flying Crosses, 2Air Medals, and 2Presidential Unit Citations for his combat actions in World War II.[7]
Thomas was the 17th NMSU president, and the second longest serving president. When he became president, NMSU had about 900 faculty and the main campus enrollment was about 8,000. By his retirement, the faculty had grown to 1,700 and enrollment was more than 12,500 students. An additional 3,000 students were enrolled at NMSU's four branch campuses.[11]
Thomas died on July 31, 2013, at age 94.[12]
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