Born: May 18, 1915
Died: March 8, 1945
Campaigns Served: Iwo Jima (killed)
Highest Rank Attained: Private First Class
Decorations: Purple Heart
The news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had an electrifying effect on twenty-six year old Thomas Buckley. Before the day was out, he had enlisted in the Marine Corps.
By 1945, Buckley was a Private First Class specializing in demolitions. His expertise was sorely needed on Iwo Jima, where Baker Company faced hundreds of Japanese bunkers and dugouts with interlocking fields of fire.
Thomas Buckley was killed in action on March 8, 1945. He is buried in Camp Butler National Cemetery, Springfield Illinois.