Born: May 10, 1916
Died: March 16, 1984
Campaigns Served: Namur, Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima (wounded)
Highest Rank Attained: Second Lieutenant
Decorations: Purple Heart
Thomas Drake was born in Harrison, Arkansas, in 1916. He appeared at a St. Louis Marine recruiting office on February 6, 1936, and shortly therafter was transferred to the training depot at San Diego. By April, he had been assigned to Company D, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, Second Marine Brigade; in September he transferred to Company C of the same regiment. By November, he was back with D Company.
Drake started off 1937 with his company aboard the USS Utah. The Utah, a World War One era battlewagon, was by this point a gunnery training vessel. It was later destroyed during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Thomas Drake continued with his training, and on June 24, 1937, qualified as a Marksman with the 1903 Springfield rifle. The next month, he was awarded his badge for completing Basic training, as well as qualifying as a Sharpshooter with the Browning Machine Gun.
In August of 1937, Private Drake and Company D were embarked on the USS Chaumont, bound for Shanghai, China.
The Sixth Marines were being rushed to the Chinese city to reinforce the Fourth Marines, who were defending the European settlement during the Japanese attack on Shanghai.
Drake stayed in Shanghai until February, 1938, when his enlistment records noted that his company was back on the Chaumont. They stopped off in Guam en route to Honolulu. The following month, Company D was posted to the USS Oklahoma, off the coast of Maui. [Like the Utah, the Oklahoma would be utterly destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor]. The Sixth spent at most a month aboard the Oklahoma, and were then redeployed to San Diego.
In July of 1938, Drake, who had evidently been practicing at the rifle range, re-qualified as an Expert rifleman. In August, he shot Expert with the Browning Automatic Rifle at Camp Kearney. His prowess was rewarded with a promotion to Private First Class, and he went on furlough from October 13 to November 10.
In early 1939, PFC Drake and several others from his company were temporarily detached to attend Elementary Machine Gun School on San Clemente Island. The course lasted for thirteen days. Drake returned to San Clemente in April, 1939, aboard the USS Arizona. After completing another rifle course, he took another furlough from mid July to mid August.
In September of 1939, Drake was promoted to Corporal.
January of 1940 saw Drake posted to the HQ company of the Sixth Marines. His record indicates that he was "obligated to serve 4 years" in the USMC Reserve; his enlistment expired on February 5, and he reenlisted effective February 6.
Drake had a busy year, in which he disappears from records for a few months. In June he moved to the General Service Unit of the Ninth Reserve District, then later he transferred to Company A of the Seventh Defense Battalion.
Thomas Drake married Alice Maxine Fitzmorris in April, 1942. The new Mrs. Drake took up residence in San Diego; her husband was assigned to duty at the nearby base and was eventually posted to the newly-raised Dog Company, 24th Marines, then training at Camp Pendleton.
With Dog Company:
By 1943, Drake had risen to the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant of Dog Company, 24th Marines. He fought with them on Namur, and was transferred to Able Company in the spring of 1944.
With Able Company:
Gunny Drake joined the machine gun platoon of Able Company; he may have taken command when Lieutenant Thomas Cox was wounded in a Saipan ambush on June 22, 1944. Drake led his men through the tough campaign for the Marianas, returning with them to Camp Maui in August.
After Tinian, Thomas Drake was given a rare honor for an enlisted Marine - he was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, a "mustang." He assumed command of Able Company's machine gun platoon, and fought through the battle of Iwo Jima. Although he was wounded on February 26, 1945, he refused evacuation and stayed on the front line through the rest of the campaign.
When the war ended, Thomas Drake returned to civilian life. He and Alice had three children while living in San Diego, and a further two after moving to Wichita, Kansas.
The ex-Mustang Marine died in 1984. He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Hutchinson, Kansas.
Photo by Barbara Bowman, FindAGrave.com volunteer