McCALL, Thomas E MSgt - Korean
Source: Indianapolis News Sat 25 Sept 1965 p 18
By Norman Bess – Lafayette, Ind – A grave in chilly Spring Vale Cemetery yesterday claimed a Hoosier soldier who cheated death in combat in 1944 and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously because it was thought he was dead. A stiffly erect military firing squad fired a 21-gun salute over the flag-draped coffin that bore the body of M. Sgt Thomas E. McCall, 49, into the grave ending the unusual story of a Hoosier by adoption who was born at Burton, Kan but grew up in Attica, Fountain County. The burial with full military honors, came one week to the day after McCall drowned in the Susquehanna River near Connewingo Dam, Md. While on a fishing trip with his young son. Befitting a Medal of Honor winner, McCall died attempting to rescue his 8year-old son, Thomas McCall Jr. who was later rescued by witnesses to the accident. In his sermon delivered at the Soller-Baker Funeral Home, the Protestant chaplain of Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Maj. EH Ammerman called McCall “one of our nation’s greatest heroes,” and “one of the most highly decorated men ever to wear the uniform of this country.” McCall was decorated 18 times, including the Silver & Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts and the Medal of Honor. The chaplain told McCall’s young son, seated besides his mother in the first row of mourners,” your father put his country above all and served in a way few could even if they had the chance… don’t expect to meet all your father’s accomplishments. But what a challenge it must be to a young man.” White-gloved, sgt pallbearers bore the casket from the hearse to a platform atop while the 74th Army Band from Ft. Harrison, directed by Warrant Officer Cola A. Martin, played “Faith of Our Father’s living Still.” McCall had distinguished himself in a battle on Jan 22, 1944 near San Angelo, Italy as a man, who at a give moment was prepared to lay down his life for others. On that day, then S Sgt McCall, a dark, wavy-haired young soldier with deep-set penetrating eyes and a square-set chin, led his machine gun squad in an infantry attack across the Rapido River near the village of San Angelo. His two-gun machine gun section was attached to Co F 143rd Inf, 36th Inf. Div. McCall’s squad was to provide cover for attacking riflemen. When both machine guns were knocked out, McCall put a machine gun on his hip and raced forward to kill six Germans and wipe out two machine gun nests. The citation reads he was last seen running toward a third German emplacement. He was wounded and captured in the engagement and spent 10 months in a prisoner of war camp.
Source: Indianapolis Star Fri 24 sept 1965 p 29
Funeral services for M/Sgt Thomas E. McCall, 49 years old, Oxon Hills Md a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor will be held at 1:30 p.m. today in the Soller-Baker Funeral Home at Lafayette. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Springvale Cemetery in Lafayette. M/Sgt McCall, stationed with the US Adviser Group in Washington DC died sept 18 in a boating accident on the Susquehanna River near Connewingo Dam, Md. The graveside services will include an honor guard, 21-gun salute, bugler and the 74th US Army Band from Ft Benjamin Harrison. MSgt McCall also was awarded three Purple Hearts, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star. He enlisted in the Army in 1939 and was stationed at Ft. Ben Harrison in 1959-60. He served in Korea. Survivors include the widow, Mrs. Maxine McCall, a former Lafayette resident and a son, Thomas E. McCall, Jr.