Bassett, Thomas A.

Description

Thomas A. Bassett

Thomas Anthony Bassett was born on October 11, 1922, in New York, New York, to Lucille R Schulte, age 28, and John Humphrey Phillips Bassett, age 26. He had one sister Suzette.

In Rye his family lived at 73 Greenleaf St. and were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Thomas was a graduate of Watertown High School, Watertown, CT, where he was active in track, tennis and golf.

Thomas enlisted July 8, 1943 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in the 15th Air Force in Italy as part of a B-24 Bomber Group. He had attended Roosevelt Aviation school at Miniola L I and administrative school at Fort Logan Colon

Thomas Basselt In Cited Squadron 15th AAF in ITALY

Thomas A Bassett son of Mr. and Mrs. J H Bassett Beaumont Woods Rye’ N Y clerk’ In a B-24 Liberator squadron has been authorized to wear the Distinguished Unit Badge as a member of a heavy bombardment group which has been cited twice by the War Department for “outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy”

The group received the gold-rimmed blue ribbon for the bombing of underground oil storage installations at Vienna Aug 22. The ground crews were credited with having every possible B-24 at the peak of mechanical perfection to insure the success of the mission In the words of ‘ the citation “the destruction inflicted on the enemy by this Bombardment Group immobilized countless enemy aircraft and halted divisional motor columns destined for the support of ground troops on all fronts”

Prior to his arrival overseas in April of last year, Thomas was stationed at Harvard Army Air Base, Harvard, Neb. He was honorably discharged on November 24, 1945.

He married Irene Sherman McCallum on May 19, 1956. They had three children during their marriage.

Thomas Anthony Bassett died in July 31, 1985 at the age of 63, and was buried in Millbrook, New York.