Lloyd Thompson
Bio
Born in Gregory, South Dakota during the Great Depression, Lloyd Thompson’s family moved in with his maternal grandparents after losing their grocery store due to the effects of the Dust Bowl. He went on to graduate high school in North Bend, Nebraska in 1947. After a string of jobs, he joined the National Guard, then onto the Air Force by 1951. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base(AFB) and Sheppard AFB, Lloyd Thompson was sent to Lowery AFB to attend Denver Armor Technical School. By August 1951, Lloyd Thompson was assigned as an attachment to the 45th Tactical Recon Squadron (part of 67th Recon Wing) that flew 76 night missions to interdict the supply routes for fighter jets and B-26 Bombers. They did this by dropping flares and bombs by hand into North Korea. He shared stories of the indigenous people, their plight, and sneak attacks by the North Koreans as their C-47 was flying back to Kimpo AFB.
Video Clips
Dropping Bombs and Flares by Hand
Not having bombing racks at the back of his C-47, Lloyd Thompson had to throw bombs and 15 pound flares (high illumination) by hand out of the plane at over 10,000 feet in the air. He did this to help fighters and bombers see their target. He flew 76 missions and accumulated over 390+ hours. He noted when the enemy would shoot at us we would know where to bomb. Trains would try to take cover in mountain tunnels so we would bomb the entrances to seal them off but they would be back in operation by the next day.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMazfn4I-8&start=533&end=862
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lloyd-thompson#clip-1
Embed:
Creeping Up Behind Us
Lloyd Thompson did not like wearing his parachute because it was heavy. That proved to be dangerous when enemy aircraft would sometimes approach his plane. On one occasion, the enemy, possibly in a Yakovlev (Yak-9), flew behind Lloyd Thompson's plane close enough that the radar indicated only one plane. When they landed, the Yak started dropping bombs on the runway at Kimpo Air Force Base. The Air Force responded with anti-aircraft weapons and blew the enemy plane apart. On another occasion, severely damaged B-29s were forced to land at Kimpo.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMazfn4I-8&start=879&end=1034
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lloyd-thompson#clip-2
Embed:
Civilians Digging in the Trash to Survive
Lloyd Thompson had a relatively easy life compared to other soldiers and especially citizens in Korea. He had more comfortable quarters and warm meals. As a naive young man who had never witnessed much beyond a small Midwestern town, Lloyd Thompson saw Korean civilians digging in the US soldiers' trash for scraps. The realization enabled Lloyd Thompson to understand whythe UN was fighting. Lloyd Thompson recognized the hope to give Korean civilians a normal life again.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMazfn4I-8&start=1241&end=1450
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lloyd-thompson#clip-3
Embed:
Finding Body Bags
As Lloyd Thompson was shoveling sand on a 2 1/2 ton 6X6 truck near a flood plain at Kimpo Air Force Base, he unearthed a wooden box and unveiled an abandoned burial ground filled with body bags. He reported the incident, but nothing ever came of it to his knowledge. The bodies were left there in the flood plain.
Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMazfn4I-8&start=1836&end=1879
Share from this page:
https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lloyd-thompson#clip-4
Embed: