Thomas Omar Ahmad was born October 12, 1919 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Joseph and Martha Erdmann Ahmad. His father was born in Jerusalum and was an upholsterer. They had seven children. Thomas was the oldest and he was married to Arline, but no information could be found for her.

Thomas was working as a Mechanic when he had enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces and served during World War II. Ahmad had the rank of Second Lieutenant. Service number assignment was O-533369. Attached to 74th Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group as a Glider Pilot. He received his training at South Plains Army Air Field in Lubbock, Texas. He graduated in February 1943.

He lost his life on or around June 12, 1944. He was a glider pilot in support of the D-Day landings at Normandy in what was known as Glider Operation Neptune. The gliders would be carrying men and equipment of the 101st Airborne Division. Pilot F/O Irvin Morales and his copilot Lt. Thomas Ahmad were flying glider #42 at the tail end of the formation.

It was reported that he survived his glider landing at D-Day (see F/O Morales story below) and then teamed up with some misplaced paratroopers. He was subsequently captured and executed by the Germans, together with some wounded paratroopers, and some French civilians including two nurses and a priest. This occurred on or about June 12, 1944.

"Ahmad,Thomas O., 2nd LT, 74th Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group, copilot of glider that landed in Normandy on 6/6/44, he was last seen on 11 June 1944 at the Command Post at Grangnes, France, where he “had a detail of men defending the Church on that day…and to this date this organization has not had any word as to Lt. Ahmad’s status…”, file unclear on location or cause of death". source: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/240086

I have been unable to find any burial information for Thomas but I did create a Find A Grave Memorial based on his draft card and USAFF data.

There were 38 casualties related to the #Normandy-Gliders incident on June 6 and 7, 1944.

Glider Pilot: 2nd Lt. Thomas O Ahmad, WI https://www.fold3.com/page/638797754/thomas-o-ahmad

Glider Pilot: Capt. Norman L Aigner, VA https://www.fold3.com/page/529907489/norman-l-aigner/stories

Glider Pilot: F/O Ivan W Birdzell, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/638501283/ivan-w-birdzell/stories

Glider Pilot: 2nd Lt. Adam Bone, MI https://www.fold3.com/page/653612979/bone-adam/facts

Pilot: 2nd Lt. John M Butler, DE https://www.fold3.com/page/638507333/john-m-butler/stories

Pilot: F/O Robert L Clement, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/529911583/robert-l-clement/stories

Glider Pilot: F/O Dale R Code, ID https://www.fold3.com/page/638632630/dale-r-code/facts

Glider Pilot: 1st Lt. Raymond E Darling Jr, FL https://www.fold3.com/page/529917177/raymond-e-darling-jr/facts

Pilot: F/O Howard M Davis, CA https://www.fold3.com/page/639641734/howard-m-davis/facts

Pilot: F/O Roderick Doyle, CA https://www.fold3.com/page/529919332/roderick-doyle/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O William H Forbell Jr., NY https://www.fold3.com/page/529908413/william-h-forbell-jr/facts

Glider Pilot: Lt. Joseph C Graves, KS https://www.fold3.com/page/638681146/joseph-c-graves/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Clinton H Griffin, OK https://www.fold3.com/page/529909738/clinton-h-griffin/facts

Glider Pilot: 2nd Lt. Gus T Griffith, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/638822685/gus-t-griffith/facts

Pilot: 1st Lt. Joe W Herriage, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/638819281/joe-w-herriage/facts

Glider Pilot: 2nd Lt. Richard N Hoag, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/638360443/richard-n-hoag/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Willis R Huckleberry, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/638829220/willis-r-huckleberry/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Vernon B Jensen, ND https://www.fold3.com/page/638274922/vernon-b-jensen/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Elmer J Kiel, IN https://www.fold3.com/page/638396179/elmer-j-kiel/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Hubert W Lindsey, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/529913022/hubert-w-lindsey/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Adrian R Loving, VI https://www.fold3.com/page/529914173/adrian-r-loving/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Norman T Lund, MT https://www.fold3.com/page/639664022/norman-t-lund/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O William T McCabe, AL https://www.fold3.com/page/529917874/william-t-mccabe/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Joseph Meleky, PA https://www.fold3.com/page/638746143/joseph-meleky/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Richard G Merce, TX https://www.fold3.com/page/638830418/richard-g-mercer/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Jimmy G Metchicas, SC https://www.fold3.com/page/638831356/jimmy-gus-metchicas/stories

Glider Pilot: F/O John H Mills, CA https://www.fold3.com/page/639665860/john-h-mills/facts

Pilot: F/O Richard S Myers, IN https://www.fold3.com/page/529912949/richard-s-myers/facts

Pilot: F/O Verl R Nelson, UT https://www.fold3.com/page/638678283/verl-r-nelson/stories

Glider Pilot: F/O William P O'Haver, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/638584600/william-p-o-haver/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O James M Reed, OH https://www.fold3.com/page/638479866/james-m-reed/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Vincent J Rembes, NY https://www.fold3.com/page/638768959/vincent-j-rembes/facts

Glider Pilot: 2nd Lt. Samuel B Shapiro, IL https://www.fold3.com/page/529916661/samuel-b-shapiro/facts

Glider Pilot: F/O Robert W Smith, MN https://www.fold3.com/page/638523850/robert-w-smith/stories

Glider Pilot: F/O Ernest F Van Houten, NJ https://www.fold3.com/page/638180532/francis-van-houten/facts

Glider Pilot: 1st Lt. John F Walls, TN https://www.fold3.com/page/638595374/john-f-walls/facts

Glider Pilot: Capt. Jack L Willoughby, MO https://www.fold3.com/page/638634636/jack-l-willoughby/facts

Glider Pilot: 2nd Lt. Benjamin W Winks, IA https://www.fold3.com/page/529913254/ben-w-winks/facts

Thank you for your supreme sacrifice in service to your country.

_This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project _https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Sources:

https://www.ancestry.com/ - 1920, 1930, 1940 census, draft card

https://www.findagrave.com/

https://www.honorstates.org/index.php