OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A ceremony to honor and recognize a World War I veteran, whose story may have been lost if not for the quick actions of a few, was held Monday, April 6, 2026, at the Ocala Marion County Veterans Memorial Park.

The day itself holds special significance: On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World War I. It was a time when ordinary Americans answered an extraordinary call to serve, said Daisy Diaz, Marion County veterans’ services director.

“Pvt. Henry Thomas was one of those Americans,” said Diaz. “Today we come together not only to remember that moment in history, but to honor one of our own. For many years, his story was quiet and nearly forgotten, yet even in his silence that service remained. It stood as a reminder of the life that deserved recognition”

The ceremony for Thomas didn’t happen by chance, it happened because individuals chose to act, said Diaz, as she recognized George Albright, the Marion County tax collector, who helped ensure that Pvt. Thomas’s story wouldn’t be forgotten.

Pvt. Henry Thomas was a modest man, who lived a quiet life in Bell, Fla., and had been laid to rest in Cedarfield Cemetery in 1956. That cemetery, however, no longer exists.

By chance, decades later his headstone was discovered in a field in Chiefland, Fla, miles from where he had been interred. The mystery of how the headstone came to be there may never be unraveled, but what is known is that his story isn’t lost–it was waiting to be found, said Diaz. The effort began when a man named Ernie Kern brought forth news of the discovery. Albright took the information, and together the two men were faced with a decision. They could’ve walked away but chose not to.

“Their actions reminded me of something my mother always used to say,” said Diaz. “Never go through life asking yourself, ‘What if?’ Today we’re here because they didn’t ask that question. They chose to act. While many came together, Veterans Helping Veterans, the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and our (Marion County) veterans’ service team. This effort was carried forward by individuals who refused to let this story end, where it was found.”

Diaz thanked Albright for his compassion and always stepping forward to honor the nation’s veterans.

The ceremony was solemn, but it was also a time to celebrate Pvt. Henry Thomas’ life.

Albright and Ernie Kern began their friendship in 2021. Kern was 90 years old, a nonagenarian veteran living in Weirsdale, and he received a phone call from Veterans Helping Veterans, which had received a call from a farmer in Chiefland, said Albright. On the back of the farmer’s property, there were several discarded vehicles, and somehow, they knew the cars had come from Gilchrist County.

In the back of one of the vehicles was Pvt. Thomas’s headstone; someone at the farm had casually thrown it on the ground, said Albright. Several years later, the new owners of the farm came upon the headstone, and that’s when a call was made to Vets Helping Vets. VHV reached out to Kern because he had sufficient time on his hands, and he went to retrieve the headstone, which turned out to have been provided by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. It was chipped, but all of the pertinent information remained intact.

“I went to the Department of State Veterans’ Affairs, and they jumped right on it,” said Albright. “The had everything on Henry. They had gone on Ancestry.com, and the story kind of came together.”

Thomas was born on Aug. 15, 1894, in Mississippi. It remains unclear how he got to Brooksville, Fla.

In 1918, he enlisted to become a member of the United States military during World War I, at a time when there were only 20,000 African Americans enlisted in the service, despite more than 700,000 registering, with most being given non-combat roles.

Prior to enlisting in the military, Thomas had been a turpentine maker by trade, said Albright. Thomas found himself tasked with prepping the war machine and would be sent to a fort in New York, where he worked on heavy machinery. Thomas lived a quiet life, marrying a woman from Bell, and on his death certificate, he changed his profession to being a soap maker, as turpentine is used to make soap. He spent the preponderance of his adult life working in the pines of Central Florida.

Thomas had a series of health problems and died at the VA facility in Lake City, Fla. in 1956. His two family members would apply for the headstone, which was awarded in 1957. The headstone came to rest at the former Cedarfield Cemetery in Bell, The location of his remains is unknown.

Pvt. Thomas’s legacy continues to resonate and serves as a powerful reminder for those unappreciated veterans, and the sacrifices they made. He served with honor, dignity and humbly, said Albright.

“Henry’s come home to Central Florida, to a lot of pine trees, and he’s come home to a family and a group of people who love him and admire him,” said Albright. “And with that, God Bless America.”

Rev. Richard Howard Sr. of St. Mary’s Baptist Church delivered the invocation and benediction at the ceremony.