On January 13, 1997, Major Charles L. Thomas was awarded the Medal of Honor for “heroism in action” in Climbach, France during World War II. Born on April 17, 1920 in Birmingham, Alabama, Thomas’s family relocated to Detroit, Michigan during the Great Migration. Throughout his childhood, Thomas displayed an interest in both planes and electronics. He graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1938. Afterward, he secured a position working alongside his father at the Ford River Rouge factory. Thomas also attended Wayne State University, where he studied mechanical engineering. In January 1942, Thomas’s work and academic careers were interrupted because he was drafted into the United States Army.
Thomas had a distinguished military career. After successfully completing basic training, he served in the infantry. He was then transferred to a new tank destroyer unit in Texas. Thomas was soon selected for officer candidate school and sent to a training program for Black officers in Colorado. In 1943, Charles Thomas was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to command Company C of the 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion. In August 1944, Thomas’s unit was deployed to England. Two months later, the unit landed at Utah Beach in Normandy and later joined General George C. Patton’s 3rd Army near Metz, France.
On December 14, 1944, Lieutenant Thomas led the 3rd Platoon from Company C in an effort to capture the French village of Climbach. As Lieutenant Thomas approached the village to the southeast, his M-20 armored scout car was struck by German shell and small arms fire. While attempting to get other soldiers to safety, Thomas received multiple injuries, including gunshot wounds to the chest, legs, and left arm. Thomas then called his platoon commander to inform him of the enemy gun placements. Despite the risks, Thomas refused to be evacuated until his junior officer could be thoroughly briefed. The junior officer continued the battle for four hours. Finally, the German army withdrew, and Climbach fell to Allied forces.
Half of the men in the 3rd Platoon were injured or killed in the battle. Their bravery earned them well-deserved commendations and citations. The 3rd Platoon, commanded by Thomas, received the Distinguished Unit Citation. In fact, it was the Black combat unit to receive the citation. Thomas received the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership and diligence and was promoted to captain in February 1945. He served two additional years before leaving the military in 1947.
After military service, Thomas worked as a missile technician at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan and later as a computer programmer for the Internal Revenue Service. Charles L. Thomas passed away from cancer on February 15, 1980 at the age of 60.
In response to a study conducted to determine racial disparity in Medal of Honor recipients, Thomas was recommended to receive one of the Army’s highest service awards. In 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the medal posthumously for Thomas’s heroic actions during World War II. As of 2022, he is one of only seven African Americans who served in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor.