MANHATTAN (KSNT) - Serving more than two decades with the Army, Sergeant First Class John R. Thomas trained fellow soldiers around the globe before finding his forever home in the Sunflower State.
Drafted into the Vietnam conflict, Thomas deployed overseas in the late 1960's.
“We was like a
ready force," Thomas said. "They would helicopter us in to an area right away looking, researching recon-ing. They sit there and watched us eat dinner. It was a regiment that wasn’t looking to be found, they was hiding. When we got finished, the commander said right through there John, let’s go. It lasted, I think they said 10 or 12 hours. It was a pretty good battle. Everybody had been looking for them, they was dangerous.”
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During the conflict, Thomas was wounded in the wrist, shoulder and took shrapnel to the back of his leg. Thankfully the purple heart veteran had a swift recovery, and even saw a bit of divine intervention.
“If it wasn’t for that dog tag on my leg, something hit it," he said. "It was a good thing I had that side pocket, because it didn’t go in my leg, it went into that and stayed there.”
The Sergeant didn't let those injuries deter him from serving. After some time stateside, he spent seven years with the 1st and 13th infantry in Germany, training U.S. and local soldiers.
“We were not too far from the Russian border, they kept us training all the time," Thomas said. "Stay alert, you know. They warned us about the Russian could ride around freely. Don’t give them no information, but report them when you see them.”
Training others abroad didn't stop there though.
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“In the summer we would go out and train the National Guard at different places, like Virginia and Puerto Rico," he said. "Then we went on Reforgers.”
Thomas approached his leadership role with compassion, and saw himself as a father figure for the younger soldiers.
“I learned from the older generation with how they treat 'em and everything," Thomas said. "I treat 'em like men, not like hollering at them or anything. I was never at that level of hollering at people. I talked to them just like I’m talking to you.”
Thomas would finish his service at Fort Riley, where he fell in love with the Manhattan community. He's called that region home since 1989, and continues to give back nowadays by volunteering throughout the Flint Hills.
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