Private Thomas Earl Owen was born March 6, 1915, in Malad, Oneida, Idaho to Edward Owen and Mary Estella Bolton. His family was members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

He married Melba Elizabeth Stone on September 11, 1940. She passed away in 1944 after the birth of their second child Sharel. They also had a son Steven Owen. They lived in Missoula, Montana at the time of his death.

Thomas grew up in Fielding, Box Elder, Utah, and attended Bear River High School.

Thomas enlisted May 3, 1945, at Fort Douglas, Utah. He served with the 87th Military Police Company. He died on December 15, 1945, in Nova Scotia, Canada from an accidental gunshot wound on base.

His final resting place is in Fielding City Cemetary in Fielding, Box Elder County, Utah.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see++ 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 smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.