Colorado WWII Navy veteran remembers heroes he helped on Iwo Jima 80 years ago

MORRISON, Colo. (KDVR) — The only thing Thomas Ramm has left from his time on Iwo Jima is a tattered map of the remote Pacific island. That, and a whole lot of sobering memories.

As a Navy corpsman, his job was to provide emergency aid to the wounded during that 36-day battle in 1945. Nearly 7,000 Marines were killed, and another 20,000 were wounded. One casualty still haunts Ramm.

“And he was hit in the chest. And out of a clear blue, I said, have you ever been baptized? He said, no. I said, do you mind if I baptize you? He said, please. This was after I hit him with morphine and tried to put a battle bandage on. He died right after I finished. In fact, I was almost finished saying baptism of prayer, and he died,” Ramm told FOX31.

And he still remembers the daily burials at sea aboard his ship after the battle. So many U.S. service members were killed on that small island that there was not enough room for them on all the ships.

“On the way back to Hawaii, they must have had eight or 10 over the side that died,” he said.

Ramm turns 99 years old in November, but you would never know it. He stays physically active. And he’s active with a group called Cooper’s Troopers, a monthly luncheon at American Legion Post 161 in Arvada, where veterans from all conflicts since World War II gather to share war stories and listen to guest speakers.

As tough as his experience in the Pacific was, he’s just glad it did not get worse. His unit later deployed for the invasion of Japan, but thankfully, the war ended just in time.

“I guess I was lucky,” he said.

Hero of the Month

Ramm is one of the few World War II heroes with us, willing to share their story. So we wanted to share something with him.

We named him the FOX31 Serving Those Who Serve Hero of the Month for September 2024. It’s a departure from our normal honors. He’s the second Hero of the Month we’ve recognized in September. Al Jennings also received the honors for his service in World War II.

Along with a plaque, they both receive a $500 Visa gift card from our Serving Those Who Serve sponsors at Ford and the Leo Hill Charitable Trust.

To nominate a veteran or active-duty service member for our Hero of the Month honors, visit the nomination page .

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