[2] Thomas was one of the people who spontaneously volunteered to enter the damaged part of the building to rescue survivors.

When asked about his rescue efforts on September 11, Thomas replied: I am who I am, a trained sailor who sails ships at sea.

You run toward your shipmate in times of trouble.His fire-damaged uniform now hangs in the Smithsonian's American History gallery.

[2] On April 2, 2009, Thomas defended inviting visiting VIP entertainers to view detainees at Guantanamo.

Thomas asserted that the beauty queens had been allowed to view the detainees in Guantanamo just as if they were reporters.