Wilbur J. Thomas Explained

Wilbur Jackson Thomas
Nickname:	"Jack"
Birth Date:	29 October 1920
Birth Place:	El Dorado, Kansas
Death Place:	Orange County, California
Placeofburial:	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Branch:	United States Marine Corps
Serviceyears:	1942-1947
Rank:	Captain
Servicenumber:	0-13630
Unit:	VMF-213
Battles:	World War II Philippines Campaign (1944–45) * Battle of Iwo Jima * Battle of Okinawa
Awards:	Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross

Wilbur Jackson Thomas (October 29, 1920 – January 28, 1947) was an American combat pilot who was a United States Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II.^{[1] [2]} He flew a Vought F4U Corsair in Marine Fighting Squadron 213 (VMF-213) which was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Essex (CV-9) and was one of the first Marine squadrons to augment carrier air groups.^[3] Thomas was a triple ace with 18.5 aerial victories.^{[4] [5]} He was killed in January 1947 attempting to land a Grumman F7F Tigercat at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California.^[6]

See also

• James N. Cupp

Notes and References

1. Book: Walter A. Musciano. Corsair aces: the bent-wing bird over the Pacific. 1979. Arco Pub. Co.. 978-0-668-04597-1. 90–.
2. Book: Barrett Tillman. US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II. 20 May 2014. Bloomsbury Publishing. 978-1-78200-953-5. 241–.
3. Book: Fredriksen. John C.. The United States Marine Corps a Chronology, 1775 to the Present.. 2011. ABC-CLIO. Santa Barbara. 9781598845433. 175.
4. Book: Commander Peter B. Mersky, U.S. Naval Reserve . TIME OF THE ACES: Marine Pilots in the Solomons . Marines in World War II Commemorative Series . 2018-07-18 .
5. Book: Corsair Aces of World War 2. 1995. Osprey Aerospace. 978-1-85532-530-2.
6. Web site: Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West . 2018-07-18 .