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The Thompson section of our website is a composite of family history beginning with the adventures of the family patriarch, Lt. Col. Rufus Buell "Tommy" Thompson, Jr. (III), USMC (Retired).
Tommy was born in 1919 and joined the Marine Corps in 1937. Our website will detail some of his military life as well as early and later Thompson family history. In the course of Tommy's military adventures, many unique items were added to the family collection, and some are pictured here.
In June 1943, 2nd Lt. Thompson reported for duty aboard the USS Nashville as Junior Officer of the Marine Detachment. In 1944 he relieved Captain Bill Bonner as commanding officer of the detachment. He served in this role until VJ Day, 1945. The Nashville was General Douglas MacArthur's flagship, supporting his activities in the Pacific, including the Leyte landings in the Philippines. On December 13, 1944, the ship suffered a kamikaze attack.
From 1950 to 1952 he was the Commanding Officer of the Marine Detachment on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. He was able to take his family with him--his lovely wife (Elizabeth "Betty" Meeker Thompson), son Robby (Robert Buell Thompson) and daughter Susie (Susan Elizabeth Thompson Sanders). During that time, they collected many Marshallese handicrafts, photos, and other interesting items.
Sue E. T. Sanders has been taking photos of her home town of Laguna Beach. These are some of her favorites.
