William G. Thrash
William Gay Thrash (September 17, 1916 – July 4, 2011) was a United States Marine Corps three-star general and highly decorated Naval Aviator.He remained at Camp Elliott serving in various assignments as an engineering officer until transferred to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida in September 1941 for flight training.Between June and September 1943, he flew more than 100 combat reconnaissance missions over enemy territory in the Gilbert-Solomon Islands area, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals.Following another tour of overseas duty, where he saw service at Pearl Harbor, Saipan, and Okinawa, he was assigned to the Division of Aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps in January 1946.While serving as tactical officer of Marine Aircraft Group 12, Thrash was engaged in a reconnaissance flight over enemy anti-aircraft positions in Korea on December 21, 1951.Thrash was awarded his first Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and his sixth and seventh Air Medals prior to being captured and imprisoned by the Chinese Communists in December 1951.The following June, he arrived in the United States, and assumed duty at Norfolk, Virginia, as assistant chief of staff, G-3, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic.
TiftonGeorgiaHilton Head Island, South CarolinaBeaufort National CemeteryUnited States of AmericaUnited States Marine CorpsLieutenant generalWorld War IIKorean WarVietnam WarDistinguished Service MedalSilver StarLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying CrossPurple Heartthree-star generalNaval AviatorTifton, GeorgiaJesse ThrashAtlantaBachelor of ScienceGeorgia School of Technologyfootballthe Yellow Jacketsthe Basic SchoolPhiladelphia Navy YardCamp ElliottengineeringNaval Air Station Pensacola1st Marine Aircraft WingGilbertSolomon IslandsAir MedalsPearl HarborSaipanOkinawaHeadquarters Marine CorpsOffice of the Chief of Naval OperationsWashington, D.C.Naval War CollegeNewport, Rhode IslandQuanticoMarine Aircraft Group 12Corsairsanti-aircraftprisonerChinese Communistsexecutive officerMarine Wing Service Group 37National War CollegeMarine Corps Air Station Kaneohe BayHawaiiMarine Aircraft Group 13Naval Air Station AlamedaCaliforniaThailand3rd Marine Expeditionary UnitIwakuniNorfolk, VirginiaCommandant of the Marine CorpsNavy Commendation MedalMarine Corps Air Station El ToroRepublic of VietnamRichard NixonU.S. SenatePaul X. KelleyNaval Aviator BadgeNavy Distinguished Service Medalaward starvalor deviceAir MedalNavy and Marine Corps Commendation MedalNavy Presidential Unit CitationMarine Corps Expeditionary MedalAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medalservice starWorld War II Victory MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalKorean Service MedalVietnam Service MedalKorean Presidential Unit CitationUnited Nations Korea MedalVietnam Campaign MedalLegacy.compublic domain materialFind a Grave