Larry Thompson's Page

I am a...

VFW Life Member, Past Military Service

What Post do you belong to or are you a Member-at-Large?

Post 4523

When did you join the VFW or Auxiliary?

1983

Military Service History

June-Aug 61 Basic Tng C-2-2 Fort Leonardwood, MO
Aug 61-Feb 63 2nd BG 12th Inf Fort Riley, Kansas, 1st Inf Div
Feb 63-June 65 2nd Bn 18th Inf Fort Riley KS, 1st Inf Div
Jun 65-Jun 66 2nd Bn 18th Inf 1st Inf Div. Viet Nam
Jul 66 Jul 67 1st Bn 77th Armor 5th ID Ft. Carson. Colo
Aug 67-Jun 68 1st Bn 70th Armor 24th Inf Div Gablingen Ger
Jun68-Dec 68 1st Bn 21st Inf Bn 24th ID Augsburg Germany
Jan 69-Oct 69 7th Inf Div Security Det Asst NCOIC Korea
Break in Service Oct 69-Mar 70
Mar 70-Jun 70 E Troop 15th Cav Fort Knox, Ky
Jun-70-Sep 72 Drill Sgt B-19-5 fort Knox, Ky
Oct 72-Jan 74 CSC 3-35th Armor Bamberg Germany
Jan 74-Dec 75 1st AD NCO Academy Inst and TAC Sgt Ger
Jan 76-Jan 78 HQ Troop Op Sgt 4th Sdn 9th Cav Ft Hood Tx
Feb 78-Aug 78 Opn Sgt 1st AD NCO Academy Ansbach Ger
aug 78-Aug 79 Opn Sgt 1st Bn 34th Armor A-2 Ansbach Ger
Aug 79-Feb 81 1SG CSC 1st bn 34th Armor Ansbach, Ger
Mar 81-May 82 1SG A Trp 7th-17th Air Cav 6th ACCB Ft Hood
May 31st Reired..

Tell us about yourself

I was a recon scout for the early part of my career until I become a Drill Sgt and was promoted to E-7..I was a recon Plt Sgt in Germany 72-74 and was transfered to the 1st Armored Div NCO Academy..I got my Operations Sgt experience at Fort Hood and was also a Op Sgt on my last tour to Germany and then I was given Combat Support Company 1SG job for the remainder of my tour in Germany..when I went back to fort Hood, they was going to assign me as Operations Sgt again, but policy was that E-8's had to fill a 1SG job if one was open and there was one open..I have been awarded the Combat infantry Badge, 2 Bronze Stars, Purple Heart and 2 awards of the Metorious Service Medal along with several othe awards..I was on Long Thrust IV in 1962 during the Berlin Crisis and patrolled the Wall and Zone in our Gun Jeeps. When I came back from Nam I was an Alcohlic, and didn't talk about Viet Nam..I was getting in alot of trouble with my unit and my wife and I did slow down on my drinking but I turned into a workahohlic, which is about as bad as a alcolhic as you are never home..When I retired from the Army I got a job teaching Junior ROTC which kept my mind occupied..In 2001 my job was eliminated and my best friend died of Blood Cancer at age 61, the terrorist attacks of 9-11 and the Traveling Wall on the 7th of Sep 2001..The Wall was a graveyard to me, I couldn't get close to it as I would see spirits of deceased soldiers motioning for me to come to them..I started having Nightmares, kicking and hitting my wife while sleeping, hollering during the night, flashbacks and obsessive thinking..I was finally able to go to the actual Wall in DC on the 24th of Oct and it didn't bother me..I had alot of moral support from friends and a former member of my Recon Plt in Viet Nam to help me..

Interests and hobbies

Old Cars and 50-60's music

Memberships in other organizations

DVA Life Member, Vietnam Veterans of America Life Member.
VFW life Member, 1st Inf div Member, Berlin Bde Member, and Life Member of American Legion Post 19