Thomas Edward Zellars was born in Grantville, Georgia, on 11 August 1898. Prior to his appointment to the Naval Academy 'Tommie' attended Culver Military Academy, where he received his childhood education. Appointed a midshipman at the Naval Academy on 13 June 1917, Zellars graduated with the Class of 1921 on 03 June 1920, a year early as the result of the wartime shortening of the Academy's course of instruction. On 09 July 1920, he reported for duty in Mississippi (Battleship No. 41). Zellars served his entire, brief Navy career in Mississippi, being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade) in summer 1923 and attaining the position of turret commander in Mississippi's No. 2 14-inch turret.

On June 12, 1924, Mississippi, along with battleships Tennessee (BB-43) and Idaho (BB-42), were engaged in gunnery practice off San Clemente Island. The ships were simulating a chase, firing only their forward turrets at close range. Battleship California (BB-44) towed a large target. The gunners on all three battlewagons were competing for a $20 prize that Congress had voted to award the fleet's most proficient naval marksman. Mississippi enjoyed a reputation for collecting gunnery awards, and the day before had hit 52 out of 55 targets. Several salvos were fired by each ship, but then there was trouble with "Missy's" number two turret. The right gun had just fired and was returned to loading position and the plug opened. The next shell was rammed into the gun and the four powder bags on the spanner tray were rammed into place behind it. As the rammer was withdrawn, there emerged from the breech a small grayish ball of smoke and flame followed by a large flash. Flame and gases immediately filled the gun compartment, passed through the safety doors above the shell table to the other two gun compartments and through the peep doors to the turret officer's booth. Almost instantly, forty-five men and three officers were dead from asphyxiation. It was one of the worst disasters suffered by the Navy during peacetime.

An inquiry found that there had been inadequate air pressure forced through the gun to expel the incandescent gases and other flammable residue after firing. Smoldering material left in the gun had ignited the powder charge of the next shot. The flames and gases had overcome the men so quickly that recovery crews found many of the men still at their positions. One man who was recognized as a hero of the disaster and credited with saving the ship was the turret captain, Lieutenant Zellars. He had instinctively closed the doors to the ammunition hoist and flooded the magazines. When his body was discovered, his hand was still clutching the flood control.

Investigators concluded that a faulty gas-ejection system prevented one of the gun's breech plugs from closing securely, thereby permitting a jet of flame to spurt back into the powder-filled room when a salvo was fired. Investigators also found that some access safety doors inside the turret had been left partly open. Also, the crew failed to examine one or more of the gun bores and call out "Bore clear!" -another violation of regulations.

Funeral services were held 17 June 1924 on Trona Field at San Pedro, California, the home of the Pacific Fleet. Forty-seven coffins were arranged on the field. Lieutenant Zellars' body had already been sent to Georgia for burial. Vice Admiral Henry A. Wiley and Rear Admiral William V. Pratt presided over the ceremony. Naval officers in dress uniforms stood in front as 1200 sailors in dress blues stood on the sides of the coffins. Two hundred sailors of each battleship of Battleship Division 4 were present. Another 2700 sailors observed the services. A seven man Marine rifle squad fired three volleys.

Above bio derived from Heroes of the United States Naval Academy Facebook page. Photo from the 1921 Lucky Bag, the United States Naval Academy Yearbook