World War II: Gripping Story of Erwin A. Thompson’s “Down to the Wire” Night Patrol story told by Laura Griffith in The Telgraph…article and video

Byriehlifegrace

“Even with his body ravaged by shrapnel, Erwin Thompson managed to drag one of his men back to safety. He didn’t know it, but th man was about to return the favor.

“Thompson, now 92 and living in Jersey County, remembers a time during World War II when he was put in charge of a night patrol that would change his life. It was November 8, 1944.” [A day before his 29th birthday!]

Slim

Read more of this fine article by Laura Griffith telling the story of all-around bravery the night he was wounded near Stohlberg, Germany…by clicking here at www.thetelegraph.com. The story is at the top of the fold on page two of the paper and on the home page of the telegraph today there is a video of my father, Erwin A. Thompson telling the story of that long-ago fateful night.

Laura Griffith has caught the spirit and facts of this story so well that tears came to my father’s eyes when he read it.

Also, read more about my father under the “Daddy ‘n Me” category. There is a section in “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” titled “Slim” telling stories about my father, including memories from his Treasure Chest of unforgettable moments.

Similar Posts

Of Trees and Men: A Lesson on Aging from a Nonegenarian (Erwin A. Thompson)—History of two Hemlock Trees that made it through the Great Depression from a man who did too

Byriehlifegrace

After dinner (that’s the mid-day meal in the country, folks) on the back eating porch, my father rested his eyes gazing outdoors to the garden and the hemlock tree. “I planted that tree 60 years ago,” Pop said, “It’s grown some. I can remember the day I planted it. We had some hemlocks for sale,…

Book Party! “Worth Remembering: The Poetry of Our Heritage”

Byriehlifegrace

A cozy group of old pals gathered in my father’s parlor on our home place to celebrate the birth of our newest poetry book. Visiting, a brief reading, and home baked refreshments crowned the the afternoon. In addition to Pop and me, three of the poets featured in “Worth Remembering: The Poetry of Our Heritage…

Gracious Courtliness the Gift of “The Mayor of Clifton Terrace”, William Gradolph—seasonal memory from back in the day by Erwin A. Thompson

Byriehlifegrace

I knew him personally. In my growing up years he was a legend. He lived on Clifton Hill, so designated because it was a pretty formidable hill on the road from the main highway to the little settlement of Clifton Terrace. He was a veteran of the 1898 Spanish-American war. In his younger years he…

“Jimmie Freeman Came Today,” a new poem by Erwin A. Thompson tells the journey from slavery to property owner for one neighborhood family

Byriehlifegrace

Erwin A. Thompson, my father, is the grandson of E. A. Riehl, who helped Sandy Freeman and his wife with the transition of moving from the bonds of slavery to the dignity of free people working for wages, bargaining for specified compensation for certain accomplishments, and becoming property owners. Pop wrote this poem after Jimmie…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *