Cmsgt Retire
March 22, 1922 — November 20, 2010
CMSgt Jack Melvin Thompson, US Air Force, Retired departed this life at 12:01 am on Saturday, November 20. He was born March 22, 1922, in Fort Worth, Texas. Edward and Ida Joy Thompson raised him in Lake Victor and Bend, Texas, before moving to Lovington, New Mexico. The family eventually returned to Texas and settled in the Valley, where Jack graduated from Weslaco High School in 1938. A year later, he met the love of his life, Betty Jean Whitworth. In 1942, Jack volunteered for service in the Army Air Force. After training at Fort Sam Houston, he was stationed at Harlingen Air Base. In 1946 he was assigned as an advisor in China where he traveled from Shanghai to Nanking and Chengtu. After a disabling injury in China, he returned to Colorado for nine months of rehabilitation. In 1948 he was assigned to Lakenheath, England, where he met the aviator Charles Lindbergh. In 1950, he returned on leave to South Texas and married Betty Jean Whitworth in Harlingen on March 19. Soon thereafter Jack was sent to Okinawa in support of the Korean action. While stationed at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California, Jack and Jean welcomed their first children, Janis Jean and Jon Edward. In 1955, the family received military orders to Fuchu Air Station in Japan. Two years later, they were sent to Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, where their third child James Lee was born. In August of 1959, Jack received orders for Harlingen Air Force Base. After three years, the family of five moved to Randolph Air Force Base where they enjoyed a much-deserved seven-year reprieve from the international transfers. During this time, the Thompson family welcomed Jill Joanne and Joseph Robert into their lives. In July of 1969, Jack was sent on his final international assignment to Saigon, Vietnam. Upon his return to the states, Jack served for two and a half years at Brooks AFB before retiring from the Air Force as a Chief Master Sergeant in February of 1973. Jack is survived by his wife of sixty years, Betty Jean; daughter Janis and husband Ronald Fielder; son Jon and wife Brenda; son Jimmy and wife Tricia; daughter Jill and husband Ronald Koerth; son Joe and wife Deanna. Jack also leaves behind twelve grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Betty Jean Thompson Scholarship Fund at First Baptist Church, 1401 Pat Booker, Universal City, TX 78148. Funeral services will be held at noon on Monday, November 29, 2010, at the Schertz Funeral Home (with visitation beginning at 11 am). Interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 1:45 pm.
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