The City of El Dorado, Kansas claims USMC Captain Wilbur "Jack" Thomas (aka Gus) as its most famous hometown war hero. Captain Thomas received many decorations including the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross during his tour of duty as a marine aviator in the Pacific Fleet of World War II going on to become one of America's top aces. He is credited with shooting down 18.5 Japanese planes, one of the highest scores of the entire conflict. Jack graduated from Junior College in El Dorado followed by flight school, receiving his pilot's license in May 1941. Captain Thomas married our second cousin Adele Kelley on Easter Sunday 1944 in Glendale, California while he was home on leave. After the war early in 1945 he joined a group for several months performing in aerial shows. Then tragedy struck on January 28, 1947. At the young age of 26, Captain Thomas was ferrying a plane with a photo reconnaissance squadron from the Naval Air State North Island to the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, California with one passenger, Master Sergeant Morgan W. Hopwood. While in flight they encountered a violent storm and crashed into Saddleback Peak thirteen miles East of El Toro. Adele has since remarried and lives in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. Please refer to this link for more details and photos: http://www.aircraftwrecks.com/pages/f7f-3p.htm
The City of El Dorado, Kansas claims USMC Captain Wilbur "Jack" Thomas (aka Gus) as its most famous hometown war hero. Captain Thomas received many decorations including the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross during his tour of duty as a marine aviator in the Pacific Fleet of World War II going on to become one of America's top aces. He is credited with shooting down 18.5 Japanese planes, one of the highest scores of the entire conflict. Jack graduated from Junior College in El Dorado followed by flight school, receiving his pilot's license in May 1941. Captain Thomas married our second cousin Adele Kelley on Easter Sunday 1944 in Glendale, California while he was home on leave. After the war early in 1945 he joined a group for several months performing in aerial shows. Then tragedy struck on January 28, 1947. At the young age of 26, Captain Thomas was ferrying a plane with a photo reconnaissance squadron from the Naval Air State North Island to the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, California with one passenger, Master Sergeant Morgan W. Hopwood. While in flight they encountered a violent storm and crashed into Saddleback Peak thirteen miles East of El Toro. Adele has since remarried and lives in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. Please refer to this link for more details and photos: http://www.aircraftwrecks.com/pages/f7f-3p.htm
