Sergeant Thomas was a member of the 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 5 September 1950. Thomas was a member of the 76th Engineer Dump Truck Company, U.S. Army. He died of other causes on 24 February 1951 at the 8055th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea.

Thomas was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. the National Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.