Family honors life of Alabama MIA/POW after 80 years

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — On Thursday, a family is honored the life of a courageous veteran after being missing in action for over 80 years.

Private First Class Norman Thomas, a WWII veteran, is coming home. A native of Verbena, Thomas was missing in action until this year. And, on Thursday, the family is laying him to rest and honoring his life.

“His name has been passed down to me from my grandmother, and my mother, and we will continue to do that for our kids, and their kids’ kids,” said Ronnie Jones, nephew of Pfc. Thomas.

Jones got the phone call in January that Thomas had been identified. “It’s something that should be remembered,” he said. “He is a hero. All these guys are heroes that lost their lives in WWII, Vietnam.”

The family learned that Thomas had endured the 65-mile Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942. Some three months later, he died as a Japanese prisoner of war. For veteran Jeffrey Bales, this defines heroism.

“A lot of people that knew him aren’t even around. But his legacy, his story, was told generation to generation,” said Bales. “So, they had the story to tell it to us today. And, it’s just amazing. I’m overwhelmed.”

Jones said the stories of all our servicemen and women should be told.

“If you have a member of your family who is either in the service, or has been in the service, you should be very proud of them,” said Jones. “Because they are doing the service for our country.”