▁Green ▁Mill ▁C ock tail ▁L oun ge ▁in ▁Chicago ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁Thomas ▁Jr ▁attended ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁North western ▁Military ▁Academy ▁in ▁Del af ield , ▁Wisconsin ▁and ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁Military ▁career ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Cham ales ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁commission ed ▁a ▁Second ▁Lieutenant ▁at ▁Fort ▁Ben ning , ▁Georgia ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁train ▁troops ▁at ▁Camp ▁Whe eler , ▁Georgia . ▁He ▁volunte ered ▁for ▁service ▁in ▁North ▁Africa ▁then ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁India . ▁Cham ales ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁Long ▁Range ▁Pen etr ation ▁unit ▁known ▁as ▁M err ill ' s ▁Mar aud ers ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁wounded ▁by ▁sh rap nel ▁from ▁a ▁Japanese ▁hand ▁gr en ade . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁volunte ered ▁for ▁O SS ▁Det achment ▁ 1 0 1 ▁where ▁he ▁par ach uted ▁into ▁L ash io , ▁Bur ma . ▁ ▁He ▁trained ▁and ▁led ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁Battalion ▁K ach in ▁R angers ▁that ▁had ▁a ▁strength ▁of ▁ 9 0 0 ▁men ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁young est ▁Capt ains ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁Army . ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Star ▁Medal ▁and ▁Pur ple ▁Heart ▁Medal . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁service ▁he ▁witness ed ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁incident ▁involving ▁Chinese ▁gu err illas ▁ro bb ing ▁and ▁murder ing