Tommy was the son of Thomas Vernon Wyllsey (b. 1860, d. 1931) and Lula Blair (b. 1873), both from Pennsylvania. The 1910 Federal Census shows the couple and young Thomas Jr. living in Baltimore. At the time of the 1920 Federal Census, Lula had died and the elder Thomas was married to Mary (Cunningham) Bulette, the widow of William F. Bulette. This Census record lists a household comprised of young Thomas's father, his step-mother Mary (1871-1964) and his two step-sisters Lula E. Bulette (1893-1955) and Ethel S. Bulette (1891-1974), both in their late twenties. Young Tommy's occupation in 1920 was listed as a Developer in the business of Photography.
In 1927, Tommy was a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps, stationed at Scott Field, Illinois, serving in the Twelfth Airship Company. In 1940, at the time of the Federal census, Tommy was a Technical Sergeant assigned to Fort Sill Military Reservation in Comanche County, Oklahoma. By November 1940, Tommy was married to Viola Blythe and they were living on the island of Oahu, in the U.S. Territory of Hawaii where Tommy was assigned to the 18th Air Base Group at Wheeler Field. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, Tommy was in the Philippines and was eventually taken captive by the Japanese. He spent over 3 years in a prison camp in Tokyo and was released when the war ended. Accounts of his experiences and those of the POWs he was with are included in two books written about the plight of prisoners of the Japanese during World War II. The titles of these two books are listed in the caption for the Japanese prison camp group photo which appears in this memorial.
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A friend and fellow crew member of Tommy's, and a friend of both Vi and Tommy during the 1930s, was Sgt. Howard Morton Kahler
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Alternative forms of name:
In some early documents Tommy's name appears as Thomas Vernon Wyllsey, Jr. In the 1910 Federal census, the family's surname clearly appears as a compound name, Wernon Wyllsoy, which represents alternate forms for both parts. In the 1920 Federal census, the family name appears as Wyllsey; both father and son have the middle initial "W." (for Wernon). As an adult, Tommy did not use the suffix "Jr.", and his middle name appeared as Vernon.
In 1927, Tommy was a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps, stationed at Scott Field, Illinois, serving in the Twelfth Airship Company. In 1940, at the time of the Federal census, Tommy was a Technical Sergeant assigned to Fort Sill Military Reservation in Comanche County, Oklahoma. By November 1940, Tommy was married to Viola Blythe and they were living on the island of Oahu, in the U.S. Territory of Hawaii where Tommy was assigned to the 18th Air Base Group at Wheeler Field. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, Tommy was in the Philippines and was eventually taken captive by the Japanese. He spent over 3 years in a prison camp in Tokyo and was released when the war ended. Accounts of his experiences and those of the POWs he was with are included in two books written about the plight of prisoners of the Japanese during World War II. The titles of these two books are listed in the caption for the Japanese prison camp group photo which appears in this memorial.
***********
A friend and fellow crew member of Tommy's, and a friend of both Vi and Tommy during the 1930s, was Sgt. Howard Morton Kahler
***********
Alternative forms of name:
In some early documents Tommy's name appears as Thomas Vernon Wyllsey, Jr. In the 1910 Federal census, the family's surname clearly appears as a compound name, Wernon Wyllsoy, which represents alternate forms for both parts. In the 1920 Federal census, the family name appears as Wyllsey; both father and son have the middle initial "W." (for Wernon). As an adult, Tommy did not use the suffix "Jr.", and his middle name appeared as Vernon.
Tommy was the son of Thomas Vernon Wyllsey (b. 1860, d. 1931) and Lula Blair (b. 1873), both from Pennsylvania. The 1910 Federal Census shows the couple and young Thomas Jr. living in Baltimore. At the time of the 1920 Federal Census, Lula had died and the elder Thomas was married to Mary (Cunningham) Bulette, the widow of William F. Bulette. This Census record lists a household comprised of young Thomas's father, his step-mother Mary (1871-1964) and his two step-sisters Lula E. Bulette (1893-1955) and Ethel S. Bulette (1891-1974), both in their late twenties. Young Tommy's occupation in 1920 was listed as a Developer in the business of Photography.
In 1927, Tommy was a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps, stationed at Scott Field, Illinois, serving in the Twelfth Airship Company. In 1940, at the time of the Federal census, Tommy was a Technical Sergeant assigned to Fort Sill Military Reservation in Comanche County, Oklahoma. By November 1940, Tommy was married to Viola Blythe and they were living on the island of Oahu, in the U.S. Territory of Hawaii where Tommy was assigned to the 18th Air Base Group at Wheeler Field. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, Tommy was in the Philippines and was eventually taken captive by the Japanese. He spent over 3 years in a prison camp in Tokyo and was released when the war ended. Accounts of his experiences and those of the POWs he was with are included in two books written about the plight of prisoners of the Japanese during World War II. The titles of these two books are listed in the caption for the Japanese prison camp group photo which appears in this memorial.
***********
A friend and fellow crew member of Tommy's, and a friend of both Vi and Tommy during the 1930s, was Sgt. Howard Morton Kahler
***********
Alternative forms of name:
In some early documents Tommy's name appears as Thomas Vernon Wyllsey, Jr. In the 1910 Federal census, the family's surname clearly appears as a compound name, Wernon Wyllsoy, which represents alternate forms for both parts. In the 1920 Federal census, the family name appears as Wyllsey; both father and son have the middle initial "W." (for Wernon). As an adult, Tommy did not use the suffix "Jr.", and his middle name appeared as Vernon.
In 1927, Tommy was a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps, stationed at Scott Field, Illinois, serving in the Twelfth Airship Company. In 1940, at the time of the Federal census, Tommy was a Technical Sergeant assigned to Fort Sill Military Reservation in Comanche County, Oklahoma. By November 1940, Tommy was married to Viola Blythe and they were living on the island of Oahu, in the U.S. Territory of Hawaii where Tommy was assigned to the 18th Air Base Group at Wheeler Field. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, Tommy was in the Philippines and was eventually taken captive by the Japanese. He spent over 3 years in a prison camp in Tokyo and was released when the war ended. Accounts of his experiences and those of the POWs he was with are included in two books written about the plight of prisoners of the Japanese during World War II. The titles of these two books are listed in the caption for the Japanese prison camp group photo which appears in this memorial.
***********
A friend and fellow crew member of Tommy's, and a friend of both Vi and Tommy during the 1930s, was Sgt. Howard Morton Kahler
***********
Alternative forms of name:
In some early documents Tommy's name appears as Thomas Vernon Wyllsey, Jr. In the 1910 Federal census, the family's surname clearly appears as a compound name, Wernon Wyllsoy, which represents alternate forms for both parts. In the 1920 Federal census, the family name appears as Wyllsey; both father and son have the middle initial "W." (for Wernon). As an adult, Tommy did not use the suffix "Jr.", and his middle name appeared as Vernon.
Inscription
MARYLAND MSGT US AIR FORCE WORLD WAR II
