After the 1933 passing of Ernest Sr., the family's patriarch, , the next in line of succession was his son Thomas William "Will" Saltmarsh Sr. He was born on August 1, 1888 in Pensacola and would graduate as a young man from Professor Henry Armstrong’s Classical School on North Palafox Street. His father was the President of the local office of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad so that's where William obtained a job. He would eventually become the secretary/treasurer of the Pensacola Lumber & Timber Company where they exported and imported timber out of the downtown port for 25 years. He then became a Certified Public Accountant in Louisiana before receiving his certification in Florida. Soon he and his partners founded the accounting firm of “Saltmarsh, Cleaveland and Gund” in Pensacola. In 1912, he would marry Susan Roberts Moreno, daughter of the timber tycoon Scarritt Moreno and his wife Susan Sydney Roberts. Susan’s father was a partner of the influential E. E. Simpson of Bagdad, Florida fame. She was also related to one of Pensacola's oldest families as the great-granddaughter of Don Francisco Moreno, known by the historical title of “The King of Pensacola.” Thomas Sr. and Susan Saltmarsh would have four children, two of which were sons. Thomas William Jr. was born in Pensacola on August 21, 1922 and his older brother Ernest Olmstead Saltmarsh II was born on July 3, 1920.
Thomas Jr. graduated from Pensacola’s St. Michael’s High School in the class of 1939 and received an appointment to the Military Academy at Annapolis. He graduated in 1943 and was immediately sent to the Pacific Fleet in September aboard the battleship USS Indiana. Within weeks of boarding, he was thrown into the bloodbath of Tarawa protecting the carriers who were launching one air strike after another to protect the Marines. In late January of 1944, his ship was involved in the shelling of Kwajalein just prior to the Marine landings set for the 1st of February. Once the landings commenced, the fleet was ordered to stand off the island to offer support, but because of the fear of enemy submarines they were told to maintain darkened conditions. Under these requirements the Indiana pulled out of formation to refuel their escort destroyers on February 1st and inadvertently pulled across the bow of the battleship Washington. Two sailors were killed in the collision with one missing and twelve injured. Temporary repairs were made as both ships limped off to Pearl Harbor. The Indiana was back on station for the raid on Truk Island in April 1944. Thomas Jr. returned from the war to marry Marion Lorraine Kervin in 1946 in Ottumwa, Iowa. He would serve in Korea before retiring from the US Navy. He would pass away on July 27, 2003 and was buried in Barrancas National Cemetery. Marion would join him in 2013.
While Thomas was fighting elsewhere, his brother Lt. Ernest O. Saltmarsh II was in command of the minesweeper YMS-71, in the South Pacific. On November 10, 1944, his ship was anchored in Seeadler Harbor off Manus Island in New Guinea. Without warning, the ammunition ship USS Mount Hood erupted in a violent explosion. All hands were killed aboard the Mt. Hood, plus 44 other sailors serving on nearby vessels in the harbor. Ernest's minesweeper was damaged, but they were able to repair it within 16 hours of the incident. But on April 3, 1945, his ship’s luck finally ran out when they struck a Japanese mine off Tawi near Borneo in the Philippines. The 136-foot ship lost its entire bow before sinking, but none of its 32 crewmen were seriously injured. Ernest would return home from the war wearing the Navy Cross, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He would serve again in Korea before retiring from the military as a Commander. He passed away on July 4, 1998 in Jacksonville, Florida followed by his burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

The CPA firm of Thomas William Saltmarsh Sr. 1944

USN Commander Ernest Olmstead Saltmarsh II (1920-1998)

US Navy YMS-71 Mine sweeper commanded by Lt. Ernest O. Saltmarsh

USS Indiana, WWII Duty Station of Lt. Thomas William Saltmarsh Jr.

Scarritt Moreno, father of Susan Roberts Moreno Saltmarsh