Thomas E. Cummings was a Cherokee Indian among the Lumbee Indians of Robeson County.
His parents were Reasley Cummings and Mary Margaret Oxendine. Most of their children including Thomas were born in Bulloch County, Georgia, but the family moved back to Robeson where Reasley died in 1924 of nephritis. His youngest son Inman Cummings was born after his death and Mary died there in 1953.
Both are buried in the same cemetery as Thomas. Thomas entered the army on July 25, 1942, and trained at Camp Croft, South Carolina, Camp Burner and Fort Ord, California to fight Rommel in the deserts of North Afrca.
However, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in Alaska first. The 32nd Infantry Regiment was rushed to Attu Island in May, 1943 by ship. The Americans were ill prepared for the cold in clothing and food. During vicious fighting the Americans faced with starvation survived off fish and rice balls from pockets of dead Japanese while the Japanese scrounged rifles and ammo from dead Americans. Prevented from receiving reinforcements, the last 1,000 Japanese soldiers made a banzai suicide attack on May 29, 1943, the day Thomas Cummings was killed.
His body was returned to his hometown on September 30, 1948. Service were held at Harper's Ferry Church and a military burial was conducted bt the Pembroke American Legion.
He was survived by his mother, and seven brothers:Andrew J., Leamon, Inman and Henry of Lumberton, Wesley Rufus of Pembroke and Willie F. of Maxton, plus one sister Mrs. Luther Locklear of Lumberton.
His parents were Reasley Cummings and Mary Margaret Oxendine. Most of their children including Thomas were born in Bulloch County, Georgia, but the family moved back to Robeson where Reasley died in 1924 of nephritis. His youngest son Inman Cummings was born after his death and Mary died there in 1953.
Both are buried in the same cemetery as Thomas. Thomas entered the army on July 25, 1942, and trained at Camp Croft, South Carolina, Camp Burner and Fort Ord, California to fight Rommel in the deserts of North Afrca.
However, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in Alaska first. The 32nd Infantry Regiment was rushed to Attu Island in May, 1943 by ship. The Americans were ill prepared for the cold in clothing and food. During vicious fighting the Americans faced with starvation survived off fish and rice balls from pockets of dead Japanese while the Japanese scrounged rifles and ammo from dead Americans. Prevented from receiving reinforcements, the last 1,000 Japanese soldiers made a banzai suicide attack on May 29, 1943, the day Thomas Cummings was killed.
His body was returned to his hometown on September 30, 1948. Service were held at Harper's Ferry Church and a military burial was conducted bt the Pembroke American Legion.
He was survived by his mother, and seven brothers:Andrew J., Leamon, Inman and Henry of Lumberton, Wesley Rufus of Pembroke and Willie F. of Maxton, plus one sister Mrs. Luther Locklear of Lumberton.
Thomas E. Cummings was a Cherokee Indian among the Lumbee Indians of Robeson County.
His parents were Reasley Cummings and Mary Margaret Oxendine. Most of their children including Thomas were born in Bulloch County, Georgia, but the family moved back to Robeson where Reasley died in 1924 of nephritis. His youngest son Inman Cummings was born after his death and Mary died there in 1953.
Both are buried in the same cemetery as Thomas. Thomas entered the army on July 25, 1942, and trained at Camp Croft, South Carolina, Camp Burner and Fort Ord, California to fight Rommel in the deserts of North Afrca.
However, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in Alaska first. The 32nd Infantry Regiment was rushed to Attu Island in May, 1943 by ship. The Americans were ill prepared for the cold in clothing and food. During vicious fighting the Americans faced with starvation survived off fish and rice balls from pockets of dead Japanese while the Japanese scrounged rifles and ammo from dead Americans. Prevented from receiving reinforcements, the last 1,000 Japanese soldiers made a banzai suicide attack on May 29, 1943, the day Thomas Cummings was killed.
His body was returned to his hometown on September 30, 1948. Service were held at Harper's Ferry Church and a military burial was conducted bt the Pembroke American Legion.
He was survived by his mother, and seven brothers:Andrew J., Leamon, Inman and Henry of Lumberton, Wesley Rufus of Pembroke and Willie F. of Maxton, plus one sister Mrs. Luther Locklear of Lumberton.
His parents were Reasley Cummings and Mary Margaret Oxendine. Most of their children including Thomas were born in Bulloch County, Georgia, but the family moved back to Robeson where Reasley died in 1924 of nephritis. His youngest son Inman Cummings was born after his death and Mary died there in 1953.
Both are buried in the same cemetery as Thomas. Thomas entered the army on July 25, 1942, and trained at Camp Croft, South Carolina, Camp Burner and Fort Ord, California to fight Rommel in the deserts of North Afrca.
However, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in Alaska first. The 32nd Infantry Regiment was rushed to Attu Island in May, 1943 by ship. The Americans were ill prepared for the cold in clothing and food. During vicious fighting the Americans faced with starvation survived off fish and rice balls from pockets of dead Japanese while the Japanese scrounged rifles and ammo from dead Americans. Prevented from receiving reinforcements, the last 1,000 Japanese soldiers made a banzai suicide attack on May 29, 1943, the day Thomas Cummings was killed.
His body was returned to his hometown on September 30, 1948. Service were held at Harper's Ferry Church and a military burial was conducted bt the Pembroke American Legion.
He was survived by his mother, and seven brothers:Andrew J., Leamon, Inman and Henry of Lumberton, Wesley Rufus of Pembroke and Willie F. of Maxton, plus one sister Mrs. Luther Locklear of Lumberton.
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