Jack Richard Thomas

Jack’s working life began at an early age when he was offered a job in a local drug store at the age of 12. Tasked in the store with everything from sweeping to prescription filling. His greatest enjoyment was working the soda fountain. He worked long hours for two cents a day, but in the wake of the Great Depression, any job at all was a blessing.

When the U.S. was drawn into World War II, Jack was only 21 years of age. Jack and a close friend decided to volunteer for the service and chose the United States Marine Corps, because they had heard that they were the elite. And, although Jack was by far the smaller of the two, he was accepted into the Corps, while his friend was rejected (because of varicose veins).

Jack loved to tell the story of how he was selected to attend Radio School as his MOS (military occupational specialty). While in basic training at Quantico, Virginia, Jack was asked if he knew anything about radios. Jack replied “yes,” as he knew how to turn a radio on and off, so he figured he wasn’t telling an untruth. He turned out to be the only one in his Company who was chosen to attend radio school.

After his radio training was complete, Jack was soon on his way to the South Pacific to fight the Japanese. His service record includes combat duty on Guadalcanal, Saipan, Tinian and Guam, as well as a more enjoyable stay in New Zealand. Besides playing golf and enjoying the beautiful scenery, he met a local girl who captured his heart.

After meeting her family, he was invited to stay at the family home, and so his time in New Zealand was made all the more comfortable by the hospitality of it’s local people. The fact that his girlfriend’s father was the mayor of the town where he was staying only helped to make his time spent there all the more enjoyable.

As so often happens in war, when Jack’s tour of duty was over, he lost contact with his former girlfriend and returned to the life he knew best back in the U.S.

After spending a short period of time in Los Angeles, hob-knobbing with movie stars like Perry Como and Joan Crawford, Jack finished his time in the Marine Corps in Lake City, Florida.

Soon after leaving the military life, Jack settled in Orlando and it was here, while performing driving duties with his brother, he met and woman he would fall in love with. Ironically, Jack’s future bride-to-be was his brother’s date that night but it was soon apparent that Jean had eyes only for Jack.