Rossmoor resident Bill Thomas, who is a writer and is active in local Veterans organizations, turned 90 on Nov. 12, 2013.
Rossmoor resident Bill Thomas, who is a writer and is active in local Veterans organizations, turned 90 on Nov. 12, 2013.
Highlighting his birthday, he received a plaque showcasing all the medals he had earned from 565 days of active combat in WWII. Especially important was receiving his Purple Heart medal.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Bill has seen and experienced the challenges of the Great Depression and then the agony of battle in World War II. After the war, he relocated to Southern California. Meeting his wife in New York on a visit there, he married and brought his bride, Soula, to Lakewood, California and then to Rossmoor. Through 63 years of marriage, their family expanded to a son and two daughters and seven grandchildren.
Bill stays active with the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, having served as Commander and in other positions in both organizations. He also designed the plaque commemorating the American military services that was placed at the foot of Seal Beach Pier.
Asked how he keeps alert, Bill says that he reads, writes novels as well as articles for the News Enterprise and Sun, and, “Then there’s the crossword puzzles I do every day.”