Thomas Meehan III
| Thomas Meehan III | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | July 8, 1921 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 6, 1944 (aged 22) Normandy, France |
| Place of burial | Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941-1944 |
| Rank |  First Lieutenant |
| Unit | Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Relations | -Anne (wife) -Barrie Meehan Meller (daughter) |
| Other work | Artist |
First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan III (July 8, 1921 – June 6, 1944)[2] was a commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Meehan was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Jason O'Mara.
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[edit] Youth
He enjoyed drawing and painting as a hobby.[2] After graduating from Germantown High School in 1939, he completed two years at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art to become a commercial artist, but the war intervened before graduation.[2] Meehan enlisted in his hometown of Philadelphia Pennsylvania on March 16, 1941.[2]
[edit] Military service
After serving in Company "B" (Baker) after arriving in the United Kingdom, Meehan transferred to Company "E" (Easy) to replace Captain Herbert Sobel, who had been transferred to command a parachute training school for non-combat officers.
On D-Day, Meehan was killed when the C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft he was a passenger in was hit by German anti-aircraft fire. The plane crashed near the village of Beuzeville-au-Plain (approximately 2 miles northeast of the town of Sainte-Mère-Église), killing the crew and the paratroopers aboard, including Company "E"'s entire company headquarters group. The wreckage of the plane wasn't confirmed found until the 1980s, so until then, he and all the men on the plane were missing in action. Meehan was 22 years old at the time of his death.
Before takeoff, Meehan wrote a letter and handed it out the door of the C-47 to be sent to his wife:
Dearest Anne:
In a few hours I'm going to take the best company of men in the world into France. We'll give the bastards hell. Strangely, I'm not particularly scared. But in my heart is a terrific longing to hold you in my arms. I love you Sweetheart - forever. Your Tom[3][4]
[edit] Interment
Meehan's remains were returned to the United States in 1952,[5] and are now buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (Plot 84 0 25-31), located just south of St. Louis, Missouri. He shares a grave site with the C-47 aircrew and fellow paratroopers of that flight.[6]
On June 6, 2000, a memorial was dedicated in the Beuzeville-au-Plain church to Meehan and the other men that were killed when the plane was shot down.[7]
[edit] Medals and Decorations
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World War II Victory Medal |
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Purple Heart |
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Parachutist Badge |
[edit] References
- ^ DeAngelis, Frank. "Meehan's shadowbox". http://www.frankdeangelis.com/1st.%20Lieutenant%20Thomas%20Meehan.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ a b c d Meller, Barrie Meehan. "1LT Thomas Meehan III". American World War II Orphans Network. http://www.west.net/~awon/awmeehan.html. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ Ambrose, p. 66.
- ^ "Letters and Artwork by Thomas Meehan" from Currahee website
- ^ Currahee Memorial Personal Remembrance - 1st Lt Thomas Meehan III
- ^ Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery - Surnames M - St. Louis, Missouri
- ^ 101st Airborne WW2 website (Scroll half way down the page)
[edit] Bibliography
- Ambrose, Stephen E. (1992). Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780743464116.
