Thomas, James Virgil Collection
James Virgil Thomas was born in Willard, Missouri on December 29, 1896. He went by the name Virgil and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1918 toward the end of WWI. Virgil never went overseas but flew missions on the U.S. West Coast spotting forest fires and mapping mail routes. Afterward he was assigned to the “Flying Circus” for the Victory Loan Flying Squad. Being the accomplished pilot he was, he was then sent to participate in the nation’s first Transcontinental Air Race. The race was used to promote the power and effectiveness of the Unites States Army Air Corps. AS their plane came in for a landing in Buena Vista, Utah, the plane took a nose dive as Virgil waved to the crowd. Their ship crashed, and Virgil, and a Major Crissy, sustained substantial injuries in the wreck. They both died of their injuries. After Virgil’s death, the Thomas family returned to Missouri where they would spend the rest of their lives. James Virgil Thomas was buried at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Missouri. At his funeral, a Lieutenant Snavely asked permission to perform a “fly over”, and was granted the authority to do so to memorialize his fallen comrade.
The Thomas, James Virgil collection consist of letters from Virgil to his Mother, photographs of Virgil during his time in the Army Air Service, military records and documents, the allotment of payments to Virgil’s family after his death, newspaper accounts of his squad and activities, and a newsreel highlighting the 1919 Transcontinental Air Race, in which Virgil was killed. This collection provided valuable insight into the daily lived of Air Service members and to the dangers pilots faced in WWI era aircraft, even outside the warzone.
Collection contributed by:
Paul Jones Family
