▁Islands ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁Thom ason ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁en list ed ▁Marine ▁to ▁receive ▁the ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ; ▁first ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁service ▁C ly de ▁A . ▁Thom ason ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Atlanta , ▁Georgia ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁and ▁after ▁his ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁high ▁school ▁there , ▁tra ve led ▁widely ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁a ▁" jal opy " ▁with ▁compan ions . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁he ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁in ▁Sav ann ah , ▁Georgia . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁his ▁father , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁en list ment ▁he ▁dropped ▁the ▁" A " ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁name ▁and ▁became ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁simply ▁as ▁C ly de ▁Thom ason . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁name ▁under ▁which ▁he ▁en list ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁name ▁subsequently ▁used ▁in ▁official ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁records . ▁He ▁later ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Marine ▁Det achment ▁of ▁the ▁, ▁Fl ags hip ▁of ▁the ▁A si atic ▁Fle et , ▁and ▁was ▁honor ably ▁dis charg ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁upon ▁the ▁exp iration ▁of ▁his ▁en list ment . ▁The ▁day ▁following ▁his ▁dis charge , ▁he ▁was ▁retained ▁in ▁the ▁Fle et ▁Marine ▁Force ▁Reserve .