Memorial

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His grandfather, Paul Albert Jaenicke, immigrated to America from Berlin, Germany in the 1880's.

Tom served as Student Body President of Hanley Junior High School in University City, Missouri. He graduated from University City High School in 1943. His main hobby was playing drums in the school band. He was also known for his baseball ability as a southpaw pitcher during his high school and brief college careers. While attending University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri on 27 March 1944. He was sent overseas in 18 February 1945 and arrived in Le Havre, France on his birthday.

In the night of the first to the second of April Tom Bouton was a member of a night-raiding patrol sent out on a special mission into enemy-held territory in nearby Düsseldorf. He was fired upon several times and escaped injury. He was attempting to return to his unit when he was killed in action by a German sniper while crossing the Rhine River in the early morning.

On 11 April 1945, his company commander, Capt Samuel M. Ouddeback Jr. described in a letter the last days of Tommy's life: "He was killed in action on the early morning of the second day of April 1945. He was a member of a night raiding patrol sent out on a special mission into enemy-held territory in Western Germany. Although fired up on several times, by the enemy, Private Bouton escaped injury and was attempting to return to his own unit when he was again fired upon by the enemy and fatally wounded. Pvt Bouton displayed outstanding courage and aggressiveness throughout this mission. He met his death early in the action of this unit, but his fine example will follow us through all our future engagements."