James Edward Thompson Jr. (October 13, 1935 – June 8, 2017) was a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer. He attained the rank of
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
and was a commander of the
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
and
First United States Army
First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Korea ...
.
Early life
James Edward Thompson Jr. was born in
Durham, North Carolina
Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
on October 13, 1935, and graduated from the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in 1957 with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in education. While in college, Thompson completed the
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
program, and at his graduation he was commissioned a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
of
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
.
Military education
After receiving his commission, Thompson completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course. His later military education included the Infantry Officer Advanced Course,
Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air Uni ...
, and
United States Army War College
The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...
. In addition, he received a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in political science from
Auburn University
Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
.
Military career
Early career
During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, Thompson commanded the 162nd Aviation Company (Assault Helicopter) during the first half of 1968. Thompson's later
field grade officer assignments included: commander, 1st Battalion,
5th Infantry Regiment,
25th Infantry Division; assistant chief of staff for operations, plans and training (G-3), 25th Infantry Division; director, military planning studies (European regions), Army War College; and commander, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
General officer
After receiving promotion to
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
, Thompson's assignments included: assistant division commander (ADC) for support and ADC for operations, 101st Airborne Division, Kentucky; deputy director for plans and policy,
United States Pacific Command
United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region.
Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, t ...
; and deputy director for operations, readiness, and mobilization in the Office of the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (G-3).

Thompson was assigned as commander of the
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
in August 1983, and he served until June 1985. From 1985 to 1987, Thompson was commandant of the
United States Army War College
The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...
.
In June 1987, Thompson was assigned as commander of
First United States Army
First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Korea ...
; he held this position until retiring in 1991.
Awards and decorations
Thompson's awards and decorations include:
Family
Thompson was married to Patricia (Cofer) Thompson. They were the parents of two children, James and Tamara.
Death and burial
In retirement, Thompson resided in
St. Simons, Georgia
St. Simons Island (or simply St. Simons) is a barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. The names of the community and the island are interchangeable, known simply as ...
. He died in Brunswick, Georgia on June 8, 2017. Thompson was buried at Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery in St. Simons.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, James E. Jr.
1935 births
2017 deaths
People from Durham, North Carolina
People from St. Simons, Georgia
University of Florida alumni
Air Command and Staff College alumni
United States Army War College alumni
Auburn University alumni
United States Army generals
United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Recipients of the Soldier's Medal
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
Recipients of the Air Medal
American Master Army Aviators
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)