Sergeant Jason Thomas (c. 1974- ) of the US Marines is a 9/11 hero. He and fellow marine Sgt Dave Karnes conducted a search and rescue mission inside the fallen World Trade Center. They saved the lives of police officers Will Jimeno and John Loughlin.
When Thomas heard the news of 9/11 he put on his Marine uniform, got in his car and drove towards the city.
Coming down the West Side Highway he saw the second tower fall. He stopped his car, got out and ran towards the building!
He had no idea of what he was going to do. He just knew that, “My city is in need.”
After hours of helping the living, praying over the dead and fighting fires he ran into Karnes. Thomas suggested a search and rescue mission. They tried to get others to join, but the other soldiers there said it was too dangerous. Thomas said, “We’re going to start the search and rescue with or without you, because someone needs us.”
With only flashlights and shovels, he and Karnes headed into the fallen towers. When firefighters warned them it was too dangerous, they said, “We’re marines.”
Inside there were fires, twisted, red hot steel and huge, deep holes. One false move and they would be dead. They could not even walk – they had to crawl.
Over and over again they called out, “Is anyone down there? United States Marines!” Each time they listened for some faint voice to answer back. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was a land of the dead. Hour after hour there was not a single answer, but they pushed on and kept calling out. Then at last they did hear a voice, that of Will Jimeno.
Both Jimeno and McLoughlin were caught under pieces of the fallen building, their legs crushed, but they were still alive.
Jimeno told them to cut off his leg so they could save McLoughlin, who was in worse shape. It did not come to that and in time they got both out alive.
Day after day Thomas returned to Ground Zero to help, to find others who were still alive in the Towers. He found nothing – just body parts. McLoughlin and Jimeno were the last two to come out alive.
Then after two and a half weeks Thomas walked away.
And that was it.
He did not talk to the press. He did not even say much about it to his wife and five children. He wanted to put those terrible days behind him.
Five years later watching television he saw an ad for the Oliver Stone film, “World Trade Center” (2006). It showed two marines with flashlights in the fallen towers!
At his aunt’s urging he went public. McLoughlin was able to confirm that Thomas was in fact the marine who saved him. Thomas had stayed so completely out of the public eye that Stone had cast a white actor to play him.
Thanks to proudchocolategirl for suggesting this post.
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Pretty revealing but actually shows how deeply ingrained certain race attitudes are. Oliver Stone, a guy who is not considered to be totally establishment guy, does not even bother to find out that this hero was a black dude?
And the funny thing is, this guy is a very classical hero, a true hero on the same model that even ancient romans and greeks would have recognized at once. Self sacrifying, honorably motivated, humble and most of all: just a normal guy who in the moment of need rises up and does something most of us would never ever do. True hero, I say.
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Thank you Abagond for shining bloglight upon this young man’s heroic actions and image. Sgt.Thomas deserves all praise and prayers our hearts can bestow. I’ll be including him in mine from now on. Oliver Stone, he tells a good story, but he is not an “enlightened” one. His hero patterns are typically white and male.
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Cool story. I think someone could make a great movie about these two guys. That’s a 911 movie I would actually see.
As for his character being cast as white, it’s just another example of whites being the default. Which imo is only partially explained by the fact that we are the majority.
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While I understand that Oliver Stone had little to go on since Thomas kept himself out of the public eye, I find it hard to believe that no one could come up with a physical description of him. It seems that either Stone assumed he was white (likely) or refused to cast him as black for some reason.
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Wouldn’t you think that after all the people who he had helped, and come in contact with, that SOMEONE must have described him? I mean sure, maybe he disappeared, but there’s no way that the memory of him was erased from the minds of all those who he helped. I mean, if some Chinese guy dragged me out of my burning car, after a traffic accident then disappeared, one of the details I would remember is that he was Chinese.
I don’t get how this could have just happened accidentally. I rather suspect that the movie was cast to reflect the best box office response from the kind of American audience who would pay to see a 9/11 hero film.
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Here is my heartfelt *Thank You* to Marine Sergeants Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes (and all the heroes of 9/11, including rescue dogs) for putting your own health and safety at risk in order to save the lives of others.
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Interesting tale…
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Typical, Typical, thanks for the interesting and important information. How many history accounts have we heard that gave missinformation in many aspects, in movies and books.
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I’m deeply moved by the sacraficial actions of 9/11 heroes like Sgt. Jason Thomas and Sgt. Dave Karnes and really appreciate that their story is being told.
At the same time, it’s sad that Olive Stone didn’t recast the role Sgt. Jason Thomas once it was discovered that he was Black.
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@Green
I totally agree. That’s why we all need really examine what people claim is historic fact. Many times certain people get erased and replaced with a White face.
Looking at a lot the coverage of 9/11, you would think that there were hardly any non-White victims as well.
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*Sighs*
Another unsung hero of color the people never knew.
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I belive that somebody somewhere in the studio level made a desicion that this guy must be white in the movie for money in their mind (cash). Stone, for whatever reason, went with that or did not even check out the facts.
One reason I respcet this guy very very much is this: even after the movie came out, he did not feel he has to step up and claim his true heroic status back. He remained a true hero, humble and not publicity seeking clown. Perhaps he was thinking like the heros of the legends: I know what I did that day and I know the guys I rescued know that too and that is all that matters. It was only after his relatives pushed him out, he stepped up. What a guy indeed!
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A true hero in every sense of the word. This is a man who deserves the utmost admiration and respect. It’s a shame that a lot of people will never acknowledge this, simply because of the color of his skin…
It’s a damned shame.
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Abagond:
Assumptions Not Rooted In Reality
1. Black people are not as patriotic…False
2. Black people don’t love America…False
3. There aren’t a lot of blacks in the military…False
4. Black soldiers aren’t in infantry…False
5. Black people support radical islam & terrorism…False
6. Black people were happy 9/11 happened…False
7. Black people don’t have a stake in what takes place in this country…False
8. There is no such thing as a Black Superman…False
Ass-U-Me
Tyrone
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I don’t think the producers intentionally cast a white actor. It said once they realized he was white, the movie had already been made.
Sure, they should’ve done better research. But, oh well. Damage is done.
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“Sure, they should’ve done better research. But, oh well. Damage is done.”
That’s probably the same attitude people have about a lot of historical inaccuracies. That’s why these things continue to happen. Supposedly smart, superior White folks just making silly, innocent mistakes when it comes time to give PoC their due credit. It then becomes yet another win for the White man.
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I worked at the pentagon for 2 months cleaning smoke damage from the walls and ceilings, and ran a carpet cleaning crew, that cleaned 90 % of the carpets in offices(obviously there were certain classified areas carpeted or not , smoke damaged or not we were not allowed in), when I used to work for service master. I volunteered to go, got paid for being there, but when I came back my position with service master was no longer there in PA.
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oh by the way following 9/11, we got there on the 12th and the building was still on fire, I didn’t feel right for 2 years after that with many respiratory problems, I feel fine now however, but I know ground zero was alot worse.
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i am from finland this man is american hero..god bless him and this family
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I have just watched your doc and HOW THE HECK can they not know ur colour i,m white but i would love to tell you WOW HERO is not enough.I cried at what you did and it gave me so much faith in the Human race THERES ALWAYS A HERO OUT THERE AND ONE OF THEM IS JASON THOMAS.I really hope Hollywood rectify their mistakes.Good luck to you your family and the 2 families you helped.xxxx ps say hi to Olivia xx
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Someone had to share that he was a black man…. I’m sure that someone gave a description of a black male… so I find it hard that he just didnt know…. one day he just got up and decided to use a white man … kinda bring back memories of all our accomplishments and everything we’ve done gets stolen away only to credit the white man… smh
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