It has been 80 years and only a few remain who remember the events first hand. The war in Europe was winding down, but the fight in the pacific was raging viciously as Imperial Japan fought savagely to hold its island fortification.
Newspaper headlines shouted the unfamiliar names of exotic places. The stories told of the heroic actions and the brutal horrors of amphibious landings and jungle warfare.
General Douglas McArthur’s island hopping strategy was bringing American forces ever closer to the main islands, but at a cost of thousands of young lives. One of those was USMC Platoon Sergeant Earnest Ivy “Boots” Thomas, a Florida native who spent most of his life in Monticello, Florida.
In high school he exhibited leadership qualities, being the vice president of his junior class and as senior class president. He graduated from Monticello High School and headed off to an Indiana college to study aeronautical engineering.
When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Thomas’ focus changed. Despite his academic potential in a vital defense industry, he decided to join the Marine Corps.
A small memorial stands in silent testament to the selfless sacrifice and heroism of Boots Thomas and the other servicemen who face almost certain death on Iwo Jima during the last months of World War II. Thomas was one of the five men to raise the American flag over the island. The monument is located on U.S. 90 about a mile west of Monticello’s center.
Initially rejected for being color blind, by his third attempt to enlist he had memorized the charts and was accepted.
Recognizing his exceptional leadership potential and incomparable attention to details during his basic training at Paris Island, South Carolina, he was selected to stay as an instructor.
He served as a recruit instructor at both Paris Island and at Camp Lejeune, but continued to request a transfer to a combat unit. He got his wish in March 1944 and began training.
On February 19, 1945 he was in the first wave of Marines to land on Iwo Jima. They faced little resistance for the first hour, but the soft volcanic soil was difficult to get men and equipment across and quickly resulted in concentrations of activity.
With sufficient numbers gathered on the beach, the Japanese attacked. After two days of continuous fighting, Thomas’ platoon commander was wounded, and he took over.
His actions under heavy fire that day later resulted in him being awarded the Navy Cross, posthumously. The Navy Cross is the second highest military award for valor.
On February 23 he was selected as part of a small group to climb Mount Suribachi and raise the American flag, which they successfully did using a Japanese waterpipe as the flag pole.
A roadside sign announces the Boots Thomas memorial a few yards off U.S. 90, west of Monticello, Florida.
The first flag raising was not photographed, but with a much larger second flag the event was recorded by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. Widely published, it was an instant morale booster.
Unfortunately, Boots Thomas did not live to enjoy the notoriety of this iconic image. He was killed by a Japanese sniper on March 3, a week before his 21st birthday.
Today, a small memorial stands in silent testament to the selfless sacrifice and heroism of Thomas and the other servicemen who face almost certain death on an island far from home. It is located on U.S. 90 about a mile west from the center of Monticello.
Thomas is interred at Roseland Cemetery in Jefferson County, Florida. The recently constructed VA clinic in Tallahassee is named in his honor.
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