Connolly, Thomas D. Jr.

Description

Thomas D. Connolly was born on April 1, 1924, in White Plains, New York to Thomas D. and Sylvia Boldtmann Connolly. He had one sister Royer. In Rye his family lived at 36 Intervale Place and were members of the Church of the Resurrection. Thomas attended Rye Country Day School and Phillips Exeter School before entering Harvard.

Thomas left Harvard in his sophomore year to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Thos. Connolly Aviation Cadet
Thomas D. Connolly, Jr. , son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Connolly of 36 Intervale Place, left Monday to join the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet. A member of the class of 1945 at Harvard, he will report at the Air Force Classification Center, Nashville, Tenn. , after induction at Fort Devens. Mass.
THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, April 9, 1943

After going on active service in the Air Force on April 4 1943, he received his wings at Selman Field Monroe on Jan 13, 1944 being the second highest man in his graduating class

Lieut. Connolly Resumes Duties
Lt, Thomas D. Connolly, Jr. , son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Connolly of Intervale Place, has returned to his duties after a leave. He is stationed at Selman Field, Monroe, La. , as an instructor at the Army Air Force Navigation School.
PAQE SIX THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, October 27, 1944

Thomas was a navigator on a Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Overseas one year, he flew 14 missions from the base of the 315th Heavy Bomber Group on Guam part at the 20th Air Force.

He flew test mission the day hostilities ceased and was special navigator to General Armstrong- based in the Philippines. He was the navigator on the flight that set a new record for fastest time flying from Hawaii to California

After the war Thomas returned to Rye.

Lieut. Connolly, Back from Pacific, Given Homecoming
Lieut. Thomas D. Connolly, Jr. , now on terminal leave after service in the Pacific with the 20th Air Force, was honored on Sunday with a cocktail party at the home of his parents on Intervale Place.
PAGE SIX THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, May 31, 1946

Thomas married Mary Latson in New York, New York, on June 25, 1949, when he was 25 years old.

Miss Latson, was a member of the Brooklyn Eagle staff, attended the Packer Collegiate Institute and was graduated from Smith College. She was at the time a provisional member of the Junior League of Brooklyn, Inc.

Thomas returned to and graduated from Harvard University. He was a member of Speakers Club and Hasty Pudding-Institute of 1770. He was associated with the Grocery Store Products Co., Inc., Manhattan.

Thomas Deignan Connolly died on December 8, 2011, in California at the age of 87, and was buried in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.