User:Rod Thomas

The account of this former contributor was not re-activated after the server upgrade of March 2022.

Rod Thomas is a retired 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army. Rod holds a MA in Strategy and National Security from the US Navy War College and a MS in Transportation Management from Florida Institute of Technology. He graduated from Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1984, the United States Army War College Strategist Program in 1991 and the United States Navy War College at Newport, Rhode Island in 1992. While on active duty he served 18 years on overseas assignments in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific and in several states of the Union to include an assignment in the Pentagon. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm while assigned to the 3d Armored Division. Rod is a founding director of the Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans.

He was published in the Journal of the Indian Wars where he served as an associate editor along with his regular column “Thomas On-line” as well as in several other historical publications. He is nearing completion of his first book on the 1876 Little Bighorn battle that concentrates on Indian warrior art and testimony about the battle. Rod is a member of the Council on America's Military Past, Western History Association, the National Coalition of Independent Scholars, The Historical Society, The Order of the Indian Wars, the Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association where he served as President, the Custer Association of Great Britain, and the Little Big Horn Associates. He also served on the Citizens Advisory Council of Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Pierce County, Washington.

Publications:

Contributing Author to Amazons to Fighter Pilots: A Biographical Dictionary of Military Women in two volumes edited by Reina Pennington with Advisory Editor Robin Higham published by Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. in 2003.

Technical Editor for George Armstrong Custer by Dana Rau, A Compass Point Early Biographies book published by Compass Point Books, Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2001

“Kicking Bear’s Canvas: A Warrior-Artist’s Account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.” Journal of the Indian Wars, Volume I, Issue 1, 1999. Savas Publishing Company, Mason City, Iowa 50401. Pages 47-67.

“Thomas Online: A Beginner’s Guide to Indian Wars Research on the Web.” Journal of the Indian Wars, Volume I, Issue 2, 1999. Savas Publishing Company, Mason City, Iowa 50401. Pages 153-157.

“Thomas Online: Daughters of the Lance: Native American Women Warriors.” Journal of the Indian Wars, Volume I, Issue 3, 2000. Savas Publishing Company, Mason City, Iowa, 50401. Pages 147-154.

“Thomas Online: By Glint of Lantern Late.” Journal of the Indian Wars, Volume 2, Number 1, 2001. Carnelian Publishing Company, El Dorado Hills, California 95762. Pages 73-79.

“Warrior Art of the Battle of the Greasy Grass: An Initial Appraisal of American Indian Pictographic Battle Art.” Presentation published in the 13th Annual Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association Symposium, June 1999. CBHMA, Hardin, Montana. Pages 28-41.

“Women Warriors of the Little Big Horn Fight.” Presentation published in the 14th Annual Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association Symposium, June 2000. CBHMA, Hardin, Montana. Pages 26-39.

“Maps, Myths, Miscalculations, and Monesetah.” Presentation published in the 18th Annual Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Association Symposium, June 2004. CBHMA, Hardin, Montana. Pages 1-11.

“Indian Fighting Doctrine: ‘No Such Thing’ or Just ‘Not So Good Soldierin’?” Presentation and paper Order of the Indian Wars, 24th Annual National Assembly, 2002.

“Warrior Art of the Little Big Horn Battle.” Presentation and publication in The Crows Nest, the Journal of the Custer Association of Great Britain, Fall 2001, pages 7-15.

To Be Published:

Rubbing Out Long Hair: The American Indian Story of the Battle of the Little Big Horn in Word and Art. Elk Plain Press. To be published in 2007.

“The Target: An Examination of the Indian Village on the Little Bighorn 25 June 1876.” Presentation (2001) and proposed article in final preparation.

“‘…in pursuit of…’: A Modern Military Examination of Custer’s Last Order.” Proposed article in final preparation.

“Stay Between the Lines: The Use of Indigenous art and testimony in Military History.” (in preparation).

"Scout for the Army: The Warrior Art of the Crow Scout White Swan." (in preparation).