Korean War
| Service # | 496511 |
|---|---|
| Unit | 53 FITRON |
| Rank | Ensign U.S. Navy |
| Date of Death | January 22 1954 |
| Status | Missing In Action |
| Memorialized |
Courts of the Missing
Court
8
Honolulu Memorial |
Combat Action Ribbon (Navy)
Korean Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Prisoner of War Medal
Purple Heart
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Ensign Thomson was awarded the Purple Heart, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Notes
Ensign Thomson was the pilot of a F4U-4B Corsair fighter bomber with Fighter Squadron 53 aboard the aircraft carrier, USS VALLEY FORGE (CV-45). On July 25, 1950, He was forced down by enemy anti-aircraft fire along the front lines 15 miles northeast of Posong, South Korea. He was taken Prisoner of War, forced to march to North Korea on the "Tiger Death March", and died while a prisoner at Hanjang-ni, North Korea on January 22, 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.