Floyd James "Jim" Thompson (July 8, 1933 – July 16, 2002) was a United States Army colonel. He was the longest-held American prisoner of war, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam, Laos, and North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Early life
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 and he married Alyce DeVries a year later. Thompson worked for the A&P supermarket, before he was drafted by the United States Army on June 14, 1956.
Vietnam War
Captain Thompson went to Vietnam in December 1963. Whitesides was killed in the crash. Thompson was quickly captured by the Viet Cong. During his captivity, he was tortured, starved, and isolated from other American POWs. His captors pressured him to sign statements proving that the United States' involvement in Vietnam was criminal. He refused and was beaten, choked and hanged by his thumbs. They also tied his elbows behind his back and hung him from a rafter until he passed out. At night he was tossed into a tiny wooden cage, where he was handcuffed and shackled in leg irons. Thompson later remarried but divorced soon afterwards. Thompson never formed any kind of a relationship with his children. His daughters were 6, 5 and 4 when he left, and his son was born the day of his capture. Only his eldest child barely remembered him. He eventually became completely estranged from all of them.
Thompson said that one of the things that helped him cope with his brutal imprisonment was thinking of the fine family that awaited his return. He developed a very serious drinking problem and was in several military hospitals for treatment. Because of his recent stroke, he had a hard time speaking, so Michael Chamowitz, his close friend and lawyer, read his retirement speech.
Later years and death
In 1981, Thompson moved to Key West, where he remained active in the community, according to the Monroe County Office of Veterans Affairs. In 1988, Thompson and a number of other former prisoners of war were awarded medals by President Ronald Reagan.
In 1990, Thompson's son Jim was convicted of murder and imprisoned for sixteen years.
On July 8, 2002, the staff of Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) East and some of his close friends threw Thompson a birthday party. He was described as being in high spirits and full of excitement. During the celebration, he quoted General Douglas MacArthur: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."
Eight days later, on July 16, 2002, Thompson was found dead in his Key West By the Sea condominium, at the age of 69. His body was cremated, and his ashes scattered at sea off the coast of Florida. There is a memorial marker for him at Andersonville National Cemetery.
In an update to Glory Denied, Tom Philpott reported that Alyce Thompson died of cancer in 2009. He also mentioned that Thompson's daughter Ruth had suffered three disabling heart attacks and had lost a son to suicide. Philpott reported that Ruth had told him the strength of character that she inherited from both her parents had helped her through the difficult times. Glory Denied was later turned into an opera written by Tom Cipullo.
Military awards
In October 1974, Thompson started to receive medals and awards in recognition for his service in Vietnam. South Vietnam gave him the country's highest award to Allied enlisted military personnel for valor, the Republic of Vietnam Military Merit Medal.
In recognition of his escape from a Viet Cong POW camp for two days in October 1971, Thompson received the Silver Star.
His military decorations and awards include:
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!U.S. Awards & Decorations
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|Personal decorations
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| Army Distinguished Service Medal
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| Silver Star
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| Legion of Merit
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| Bronze Star with "V" Device
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| Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
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| Air Medal
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!U.S. Awards & Decorations
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|Unit awards
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| Presidential Unit Citation
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| Meritorious Unit Commendation
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|Service awards
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| Prisoner of War Medal
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| Army Good Conduct Medal
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|Campaign & Service awards
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| National Defense Service Medal
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| Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
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| Vietnam Service Medal w/ three " Silver Stars and one " Bronze Star
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| Korea Defense Service Medal
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|Service & Training awards
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|60px<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -35px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">9px</span> Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Bronze Hourglass
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| Army Service Ribbon
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| Army Overseas Ribbon with Bronze Numeral 2
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!U.S. Awards & Decorations
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|Badges and Tab awards
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|120px Combat Infantryman Badge
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|80px Parachutist Badge
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|100px Special Forces Tab
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|100px Ranger Tab
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|80px 18 Overseas Service Bars
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!Foreign Awards & Decorations
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|Personal decorations, Unit awards, and Service awards
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| Republic of Vietnam Military Merit Medal
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|<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -16px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">10px</span> Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and Gold Star
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| Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st Class)
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| Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
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| Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm
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| Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation with Palm
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| Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960- Device
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See also
- Prisoner of War Camps
- Aircraft losses of the Vietnam War
- Awards and decorations of the Vietnam War
- U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War
References
External links
- Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War
- F. J. Thompson, 69, Longtime P.O.W., Dies, Published: July 18, 2002 in The New York Times
- POW Network
- POW/MIA Freedom Fighters
- Booknotes interview with Tom Philpott on Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War, August 5, 2001.