Floyd James Thompson
| Floyd James Thompson | |
|---|---|
Then LTC Floyd J Thompson, Easter Saturday 1975.
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Jim |
| Born |
July 8, 1933 Bergenfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | July 16, 2002 (aged 69) Key West, Florida, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1956–1982 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Unit | 7th Special Forces Group |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
 Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Prisoner of War Medal
|
Floyd James "Jim" Thompson (July 8, 1933 – July 16, 2002) was a United States Army officer and the longest held prisoner of war in United States history, spending nearly nine years in captivity in Vietnam.
Jim Thompson was born July 8, 1933, in Bergenfield, New Jersey, as the son of a bus driver. He graduated from Bergenfield High School in 1951. Thompson worked for the A&P supermarket before he was drafted by the United States Army on June 14, 1956. He was at first a very truculent, rebellious soldier, but then decided that he liked the military. After basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, he decided to make the military his career.
After completing Officer Candidate School, Thompson served stateside and also spent a year in Korea. He was stationed at Fort Bragg when he was recruited into the Army Special Forces as a Green Beret.
Captain Thompson went to Vietnam in December 1963. Prior to his deployment, he hadn't heard of the country. He was to serve only a six-month tour of duty but was captured on March 26, 1964. He was released on March 16, 1973, 10 days short of 9 years.
On March 26, 1964, an observation plane (an L-19/O-1 Bird Dog) flown by Captain Richard L. Whitesides and Captain Thompson was downed by small arms fire at 16°39′12″N 106°46′21″E / 16.65333°N 106.77250°E, about 20 kilometres from Thompson's Special Forces Camp near Quang Tri, South Vietnam.
...
Wikipedia