Korean War
| Rank | Lieutenant U.S. Navy |
|---|---|
| Date of Death | September 4 1951 |
National Defense Service Medal
Lieutenant Thorpe was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
Notes
Lieutenant Thorpe was the co-pilot of a P2V-3 Neptune twin-engine patrol bomber with Patrol Squadron 5, assigned to the Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island. On September 4, 1951, he engaged in an exercise with a submarine 30 miles east of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York when a flare became stuck in the aircraft's chute. The plane caught fire, crashed and exploded, killing all seven crewmen on board.