Thomas LaCroix
Bio
Thomas LaCroix joined the United States Navy when he was barely 18 years of age. After leaving his hometown of Seminole, Oklahoma, he attended basic training in San Diego, California. Soon after, he found himself traveling to Asia aboard an aircraft carrier. Initially being stationed in China aboard the carrier, he was given the job of Storekeeper on the warship, where he served ice cream. His service in the Korean War included stations in Japan, Korea, and Hawaii. In his recollection, the job of his aircraft carrier was to rescue American planes that were in trouble, which included shooting at any enemy flyers. He describes his personal experience of seeing a quarantined area, possibly a leper colony, located off a bay area where his aircraft carrier was stationed on the southern coast of Korea.
Video Clips
Graphic Encounters in the Bay
Thomas LaCroix describes his experience in the United States Navy aboard an aircraft carrier that was guarding ocean bays along the coast of Korea. He explains the task of taking enemy remains to a location that appeared to be quarantined due to the presence of severe illness. The location was in a bay area off the southern coast of Korea. He explains seeing people with sickness, leaving the impression that he likely encountered a leper colony.
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Coastal Deployment and Geography
Thomas LaCroix describes his experience in the United States Navy aboard an aircraft carrier that was guarding ocean bays along the coast of Korea. In his recollection, he speaks of the geographical locations where he was stationed early in his naval deployment, which included: San Diego, California-Tarawa Atoll- and Tsingtao, China. Additionally, he recounts the assignment of his aircraft carrier to safely guide pilots who were in trouble to the bay area for pick up by the warship.
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Bombing from the Sky
Thomas LaCroix describes his experience in the United States Navy aboard an aircraft carrier that was guarding ocean bays along the coast of Korea. In his recollection, he tells of bombing coming down around the aircraft carrier he was aboard. His description tells of how the bombers claimed that every once in a while they would "take the paint off," in reference to the aircraft carrier.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HObnBM39jZw&start=649&end=804
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/thomas-lacroix#clip-3
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