Thomas Ellis | |
|---|---|
| File:Thomas Ellis (Tuskegee Airman).jpg Thomas Ellis 1944 | |
| Birth name | Thomas Marvin Ellis |
| Born | June 29, 1920 |
| Died | January 2, 2018 (aged 97) San Antonio, Texas |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army Air Force |
| Years of service | 1942-1945 |
| Rank | Sergeant Major[2] |
| Unit | |
| Awards | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "wikitext").
|
| SpouseTemplate:Pluralize from text | Janie |
Sgt. Major Thomas Ellis (June 29, 1920 - January 2, 2018) from San Antonio, Texas, was a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He served in the 301st Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group during WWII.
Early life and education[]
Ellis grew up in San Antonio, Texas and graduated from Wheatley High School He attended Samuel Huston College in Austin. He married his wife Janie in early 1942.[1]
Military service[]
The Tuskegee Airmen's aircraft had distinctive markings that led to the name, "Red Tails."[N 1]
P-51C Mustang fighters from the 332nd Fighter Group at Ramitelli Airfield, with goats (March 1945)
He was drafted into the Army in June 1942[1] and was sent to basic training in Newport News, VA and in October 1942 he was assigned to Tuskegee with the 99th Fighter Squadron.[4] When Ellis arrived at Tuskegee Army Airfield in 1942 he was the only member 301st Fighter Squadron.[1] In 1944 he was sent to Ramitelli Air Base in Italy with the Tuskegee Airmen 301st Fighter Squadron. He was an administrator and served under Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr. with the 332nd Fighter Group's transfer to Taranto Italy.[4] He achieved the rank of Sergeant Major and earned seven battle stars.[1][2] He was discharged in September, 1945.[4]
Later life[]
When he returned from the war he worked as a USPS mail carrier until his retirement in 1984.[4] He died of a stroke January 2, 2018 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.[2]
Awards[]
- Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2006[5]
- Battle Stars (7)
See also[]
Further reading[]
- The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949[6]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Christensen, Sig (9 January 2018). "Thomas Ellis, a Tuskegee Airman, is dead at 97". Hearst Communications, Inc. https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Thomas-Ellis-a-Tuskegee-Airman-is-dead-at-97-12484555.php. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fannin, John (10 January 2018). "Remembering Tuskegee Airman Thomas Ellis". Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2018/01/11/remembering-tuskegee-airman-thomas-ellis/. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ↑ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Thomas Marvin Ellis". CAF Rise Above. https://cafriseabove.org/thomas-marvin-ellis/. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ↑ Rangel, Charles B. (April 11, 2006). "Tuskegee Airmen Gold Medal Signed Into Law". Press Release. United States House of Representatives. http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny15_rangel/CBRStatementTuskegeeBillSigned04112006.html. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
- ↑ Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949. Montgomery: New South Books. p. 394. ISBN 978-1588382443. https://books.google.com/books?id=1qC51h8HrWQC&q=William+p.+Armstrong+tuskegee&pg=PA194. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
Notes[]
External links[]
- Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
- Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
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