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I was reading comments on a blog I frequent and one of the more nauseating commenters remarked that we lost zero American lives in Iraq between April 1991 and March 2003 [really, it's only a tangential point in his mostly pointless ramblings, which I don't recommend you bother reading for many reasons]. He is quite wrong, but rather than waste pixels on him, I'll write a tribute here.
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COL Jerald L. Thompson commanded a group of U.S. servicemen [jointly with Turkish forces] in the Kurdish area of Iraq, north of the Northern No-Fly Zone. He had served his tour of duty and was doing a change-of-command helicopter flight to acquaint his replacement with the area. They [all 26 souls on board two helicopters] were shot down by U.S. Air Force fighters who mistook the two blackhawks for enemy craft. I never met Jerry in person, but I knew his wife, Eileen. I attended his memorial at Fort Bragg at the Special Forces chapel on post and there was an outpouring of mourners that filled the chapel to overflowing.
Others who knew him will attest to his sterling character as a soldier. As I said, I never met him in person. I only knew him as a beloved husband to Eileen whom I met through Mary Kay Cosmetics. She and I shared a room at Career Conference in the early spring of 1994, while Jerry was still in Iraq. She is older than me, quite graceful, a lovely woman and a gentle mentor. During our time together, she found out that married life agreed with me, even only four years into our journey. She told me about a Worldwide Marriage Encounter that she and Jerry had made, years earlier, in a castle in Germany. She described how that one weekend changed their marriage and she encouraged us to make the weekend. I went home and sold David on the idea. We signed up for a weekend in the Raleigh diocese. That weekend was cancelled because of a military operation to Guantanamo Bay that pulled away several of the soldiers. I was righteously miffed. Eileen told me that the one we were meant to take is the the one we would take.
The news of Jerry's death spread quickly through the Mary Kay world. I went to see Eileen. That day she had received in the mail a gorgeous Persian rug that Jerry had selected for her and sent just before he died. She pointed to the bookshelf full of their dialogue books--daily love letters--that they shared for many years. She had no doubt of his love for her. She mourned him greatly, but never regretted anything about their relationship. She and Jerry made a choice each day to love each other. They fulfilled their marriage vows and were together until death parted them. She knows that he awaits her in Heaven. What a privilege it will be for me to meet him someday over there. I am profoundly grateful to him for his sacrifice to our country and his example of how to truly love your wife. That weekend which we made in October 1995 changed our marriage.
Thanks, Colonel Thompson, for everything.
Others who knew him will attest to his sterling character as a soldier. As I said, I never met him in person. I only knew him as a beloved husband to Eileen whom I met through Mary Kay Cosmetics. She and I shared a room at Career Conference in the early spring of 1994, while Jerry was still in Iraq. She is older than me, quite graceful, a lovely woman and a gentle mentor. During our time together, she found out that married life agreed with me, even only four years into our journey. She told me about a Worldwide Marriage Encounter that she and Jerry had made, years earlier, in a castle in Germany. She described how that one weekend changed their marriage and she encouraged us to make the weekend. I went home and sold David on the idea. We signed up for a weekend in the Raleigh diocese. That weekend was cancelled because of a military operation to Guantanamo Bay that pulled away several of the soldiers. I was righteously miffed. Eileen told me that the one we were meant to take is the the one we would take.
The news of Jerry's death spread quickly through the Mary Kay world. I went to see Eileen. That day she had received in the mail a gorgeous Persian rug that Jerry had selected for her and sent just before he died. She pointed to the bookshelf full of their dialogue books--daily love letters--that they shared for many years. She had no doubt of his love for her. She mourned him greatly, but never regretted anything about their relationship. She and Jerry made a choice each day to love each other. They fulfilled their marriage vows and were together until death parted them. She knows that he awaits her in Heaven. What a privilege it will be for me to meet him someday over there. I am profoundly grateful to him for his sacrifice to our country and his example of how to truly love your wife. That weekend which we made in October 1995 changed our marriage.
Thanks, Colonel Thompson, for everything.
5 comments:
This beautiful, Ruth Anne.
Ruth Anne, I had a sudden shock when I saw that picture. He reminds me so much of Jerry Thompson at Ripon, though much younger. Do you see the resemblance?
Mom
Mom: Now that you mention it, I do. It's in the Scandinavian cheeks or something. I almost wrote a note for those Ripon-ite readers that this isn't the Jerry Thompson they think of when one hears that name.
After many years, I started compiling my notes for a memoir and came across this site when looking up Jerry Thompson. I served with LTCol Jerry Thompson in Operation Desert Shield/Storm when he was with 5th Special Forces and I was the Director of Intelligence for Special Operations. He and I had many long chats about family, the military, and what we were doing in Saudi Arabia. He was a quiet professional who loved his family and country. A year after I retired, I was shocked to find Jerry had been among the casualties of the friendly fire incident involving his helicopter. America lost a truly excellent soldier but his memory lives on.
Mike Williams
LCDR USN(Ret)
After many years, I started compiling my notes for a memoir and came across this site when looking up Jerry Thompson. I served with LTCol Jerry Thompson in Operation Desert Shield/Storm when he was with 5th Special Forces and I was the Director of Intelligence for Special Operations. He and I had many long chats about family, the military, and what we were doing in Saudi Arabia. He was a quiet professional who loved his family and country. A year after I retired, I was shocked to find Jerry had been among the casualties of the friendly fire incident involving his helicopter. America lost a truly excellent soldier but his memory lives on.
Mike Williams
LCDR USN(Ret)
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