Colonel Thomas H Young
Thomas Hugh Young was born on November 15th, 1896 in Aquasco, Maryland to Joseph Young and Margaret Gibbons. He was their eighth child and an additional three came after by 1903. Thomas completed local high schools before attending Washington College, where he played football and captained their basketball team. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1917, he decided to take a different career path.
WW1
When the United States finally joined the Allies in the Great War on April 4th, 1917, Thomas enlisted in the Marine Corps twenty days later to be stationed at the Naval Academy in Annapolis on May 15th, but shortly before the end of the year, he was discharged from the corps to enlist in the Army for a new type of warfare. On December 31st, Thomas joined the Signal Corps Aviation as a Private First Class at the School of Military Aeronautics at Princeton where the group of cadets learned how to conduct war from airplanes. This type of combat was happening overseas in Europe already, and the US military wanted to get new men trained accordingly. PFC Young completed his training and additional courses at the Aerial Gunnery School at Selfridge Field and was direct commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on July 31st, 1918. He was selected to attend further training overseas and left the US aboard the SS President Grant the following month and joined the Air Service School in France on September 2nd. By the time he gained his observer wing and joined the 85th Aero Squadron, the war had already ended a few weeks before and he missed seeing any potential combat action. Nevertheless, 2nd LT Young moved to Tours, France with his squadron as it was tasked with photographing the Hindenburg Line for historical purposes. Finally, on July 19th, 1919, Young left for the United States where he was discharged in October.
WW1
When the United States finally joined the Allies in the Great War on April 4th, 1917, Thomas enlisted in the Marine Corps twenty days later to be stationed at the Naval Academy in Annapolis on May 15th, but shortly before the end of the year, he was discharged from the corps to enlist in the Army for a new type of warfare. On December 31st, Thomas joined the Signal Corps Aviation as a Private First Class at the School of Military Aeronautics at Princeton where the group of cadets learned how to conduct war from airplanes. This type of combat was happening overseas in Europe already, and the US military wanted to get new men trained accordingly. PFC Young completed his training and additional courses at the Aerial Gunnery School at Selfridge Field and was direct commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on July 31st, 1918. He was selected to attend further training overseas and left the US aboard the SS President Grant the following month and joined the Air Service School in France on September 2nd. By the time he gained his observer wing and joined the 85th Aero Squadron, the war had already ended a few weeks before and he missed seeing any potential combat action. Nevertheless, 2nd LT Young moved to Tours, France with his squadron as it was tasked with photographing the Hindenburg Line for historical purposes. Finally, on July 19th, 1919, Young left for the United States where he was discharged in October.
As an eager student, Thomas immediately returned to France to attend the University of Besancon and Paris to learn French, rejoined the US Army on February 18th, 1920 and met his future wife Deniyse Vaudron, whom he married in 1921. 1st LT Young eventually moved to Coblenz, Germany before returning to the US on March 21st, 1921 and being stationed with the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division for two years. Due to his education and French language skills, LT Young became an instructor at West Point from 1925 to 1930, and then attended the US Tank School to become a tank commander with the 14th Infantry Regiment located in Panama. Young learned how to speak spanish during his three years here, going so far as to instruct other officers on how to do so before returning to the US by the end of 1934 with a promotion to Captain. With the population suffering greatly from the Great Depression, the new Civilian Conservation Corps was a means of survival for struggling men and their families while also a way for the country to improve economically. Captain Young was placed in charge of multiple local CCC troops along with being assigned to the 66th Infantry Regiment from 1934 to the late 1930s, where he was relieved of duties as troop leader.
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WW2
In 1939, Captain Young learned of the outbreak of WW2 abroad in Europe, but tensions kept rising every month. He still remained with the 66th Infantry at Fort Meade and was promoted to Major on July 1st, 1940 which came with the transfer to the 7th Infantry Division as Staff Officer. Young was advanced to Lieutenant Colonel less than a month before it boiled over with the attack on Pearl Harbor. The US officially declared war the following day, beginning Young’s second war. Immediately, LtCol Young was sent to Haiti to form a US Military Attaché in early 1942. Attaché’s were the eyes and ears of the US in their host country and prepared reports detailing anything requested of them to find. However, training was lacking in this regard and adjusting to the country’s currency, language, and more could pose a problem. Young already was fluent in French and well educated, so his experience was easier than most in gaining information and caused his selection. Colonel Young spent more than two years in this capacity before returning to the US and being reassigned to the China Burma India theater in the Pacific as Assistant Chief of Staff in 1944. Once Germany announced their unconditional surrender in May 1945, Young became the Special Inspector of POWs in the office of the Commanding General for soldiers returning home from captivity..
In 1939, Captain Young learned of the outbreak of WW2 abroad in Europe, but tensions kept rising every month. He still remained with the 66th Infantry at Fort Meade and was promoted to Major on July 1st, 1940 which came with the transfer to the 7th Infantry Division as Staff Officer. Young was advanced to Lieutenant Colonel less than a month before it boiled over with the attack on Pearl Harbor. The US officially declared war the following day, beginning Young’s second war. Immediately, LtCol Young was sent to Haiti to form a US Military Attaché in early 1942. Attaché’s were the eyes and ears of the US in their host country and prepared reports detailing anything requested of them to find. However, training was lacking in this regard and adjusting to the country’s currency, language, and more could pose a problem. Young already was fluent in French and well educated, so his experience was easier than most in gaining information and caused his selection. Colonel Young spent more than two years in this capacity before returning to the US and being reassigned to the China Burma India theater in the Pacific as Assistant Chief of Staff in 1944. Once Germany announced their unconditional surrender in May 1945, Young became the Special Inspector of POWs in the office of the Commanding General for soldiers returning home from captivity..
Post War
Due to his experience in Europe during WW1, his exemplary service in Haiti, and his effectiveness in administrative jobs, Young was specifically requested by Ambassador Murphy to be the Military Executive of the Political Division of the Military Government of Germany as they became an occupational force for the country’s rebuilding. Once this capacity was fulfilled, he transferred to USFET under General Eisenhower as Chief of Special Activities Branch through 1946, then as Chief Administrative and Inspections Division, Military Government of Bavaria for a further two years. Finally, in 1948, Colonel Young returned to the US for two years with the 1st Army until his prior work with prisoners and Germany necessitated a return in 1950. He became Deputy Chief of the Historical Division, USAREUR to coordinate and supervise the work of 400 former German officers in preparing source material on all phases of German participation in WW2. The investigation was done in France and led to the creation of two museums in Arromanches and Cherbourg that commemorated WW2 campaigns. This was his final work of his extensive army career, and he retired on July 30th, 1953. Returning to Maryland with his family, Thomas’ love for French led him to teach it at Surrattsville Senior High School for over nine years until retirement in 1967. He passed away on April 25th, 1983 in his home town of Aquasco, leaving behind his wife and son. |