Robert H. Thomas served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel with Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division during the Korean War. A veteran of World War II, he died on October 13, 1952, in a helicopter accident in Korea. He was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.