Gerald Carthrae Thomas - Arlington VA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2 Site 4967-A-1

Among his military and foreign awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with 1 award star and combat "V" valor device, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with 2 award stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation with 1 service star, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, the World War I Victory Medal with 5 clasps, the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, the American Defense Service Medal with Base clasp, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the China Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 1 service star, the Order of Orange-Nassau, Commander with crossed swords, the Order of National Security Merit, Gugseon Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the United Nations Korea Medal, and the French Fourragere. He was then promoted to the rank of general on the retired list for having been especially commended in combat in accordance with an Act of Congress passed on February 23, 1942 (colloquially known as a "tombstone promotion"). He died at his home in Washington DC at the age of 89.

Description: From Find A Grave: United States Marine Corps General. He was a highly decorated veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Born in Slater, Missouri, he was in his sophomore year at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois, when the US entered World War I and he dropped out of college to enlist in the US Marine Corps in May 1917. He completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina and then joined the 1st Battalion 6th Marines. In September of that year, he was sent to France where he participated in combat action at Verdun, Belleau Wood, Soissons, and in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (Champagne). He was promoted to the rank of sergeant and during the battle of Belleau Wood, he led a squad of Marines and received the Silver Star for bravery. At the Battle of Soissons, his company sustained heavy losses and he became the acting platoon leader. In September 1918, he was commissioned a second lieutenant. After Germany surrendered in November 1918, he participated in the occupation of Germany and returned to the US in July 1919. In November of that year, he joined the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in Haiti, taking part in action against Haitian bandit forces until May 1921. In August 1921, he was assigned to the Marine Barracks at Quantico, Virginia, where he remained for the next two years. During that time he was detached for several months of duty with the guard company at the Disarmament Conference in Washington and completed the Company Officers Course at the Marine Corps Schools. From November 1923 until October 1925, he commanded the Marine Detachment aboard the gunboat USS Tulsa. He was then stationed for two years at the Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina, and for a year at Camp Holabird, Maryland, where he completed a course in the Army Motor Transport School. In December 1928, after serving as Officer-in-Charge of Land Transportation at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, he joined the 1st Brigade Marines in Haiti, and became Aide to the Commanding General. In June 1931 he returned to the US and three months later he entered the Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and graduated in June 1932. The then became an instructor in the Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, remaining there until August 1934, when he was ordered back to Quantico as a student in the Senior Course. After completing that course, he was ordered to China in July 1935, for duty with the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in Peking (Beijing). He returned to the US in 1937 to attend the US Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and after graduating in June 1938, he returned again to Quantico to join the staff of the Marine Corps Schools. In May 1941 he was directed to Cairo, Egypt, as a naval observer, but he was recalled to Quantico two months later to become Assistant Operations Officer of the 1st Marine Division. In March 1942, after the US entered World War II. He became the Operations Officer of the division and was sent to the South Pacific in that capacity two months later. He saw combat action at the Battles of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. In September 1942 he was appointed Chief of Staff of the division, and in July 1943, he became Chief of Staff of the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps, where he participated at the Battle of Bougainville, codenamed Operation Cherry Blossom. He then returned to the US and became Director of Plans and Policies in January 1944 at US Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington DC. In July 1947 he became Commanding General of Fleet Marine Force, Western Pacific and after that unit was disbanded in March 1949, he became Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps Equipment Board at Quantico, later serving there as Commanding General of the Landing Force Development Center. In April 1951 he took command of the 1st Marine Division during the Korean War, serving in that capacity until January 1952. Date of birth: 10/29/1894 Date of death: 04/07/1984 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: None Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log for waymarks in this category, you must have personally visited the waymark location. When logging your visit, please provide a note describing your visit experience, along with any additional information about the waymark or the surrounding area that you think others may find interesting.

We especially encourage you to include any pictures that you took during your visit to the waymark. However, only respectful photographs are allowed. Logs which include photographs representing any form of disrespectful behavior (including those showing personal items placed on or near the grave location) will be subject to deletion.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   10/09/2021 Don.Morfe visited it