Thomas, Norman (1924-2006)

https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/stc:9894#/kaltura_audio

Biographical Information: Norman James Thomas was born February 29, 1924 in south Minneapolis. After graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was deployed to the South Pacific with the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron and later the 13th Air Force Service Command Headquarters. He flew several types of airplanes, primarily C-47s, on 140 missions in Australia, New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies, the Solomon Islands, the Adele Islands, the Halmaheras, and the Ryukyus. In the Philippines, Thomas flew missions in support of the OSS—what became the CIA—and the Filipino resistance. Shortly after being discharged in January 1946, he met Marjory Brady, and the two were married on June 28, 1947. Thomas remained a reservist for five years after the war until finding a job as a corrections officer at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud. He worked there for thirty years and retired in 1979. After Marjory passed away on March 3, 1984, he later remarried Lorraine Noyes on June 30, 1989. During his work and retirement years, Thomas was a member of St. Cloud VFW Post 428, Waite Park American Legion Post 428, and St. Cloud Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 622. He passed away on September 17, 2006 and was survived by two sons and two grandsons.

Transcript Summary: Norman Thomas described his experiences serving as a C-47 pilot in the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 13th Air Force Service Command Headquarters in World War II. Here he flew missions in Australia, New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies, the Solomon Islands, the Adele Islands, the Halmaheras, the Ryukyus, and the Philippines. In the interview, Thomas detailed the several steps that he went through as a recruit during pilot training, crediting that training with saving his life. He also described the nature of the missions he flew in the South Pacific, including several in support of the OSS, which became the CIA, and the Filipino resistance in the Japanese-occupied Philippines. Thomas detailed several noteworthy experiences, including retrieving VIPs and delivering ammunition and supplies to surrounded infantry, as well as times when he narrowly avoided crashing. Thomas chronicled his life after the war, including his thoughts on how the war had changed him and his south Minneapolis home, his initial struggle to find a job, his thirty-year career at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, and his continued love for flying.

Interview by John Carter