LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - OCTOBER 4, 2020 by Lynne Belluscio When we were making plans for the Korean War bench on Trigon Park, a man stopped by the Historical Society with a notebook of information about men from Genesee County who had died in service during the war, and I remember hearing him tell of a man from LeRoy, Milt Thompson, who died during the Korean War, but was not listed anywhere. Milt was in the Air Force and had died in an airplane crash in Ohio, and I said, I would take the time to do more research and see if his name should be added to the bench, but I procrastinated and the bench was dedicated without any names. (Frank Elliott’s initials are on the bench. He served in the Korean War and when he died two years ago, memorial money was given to the Historical Society and those funds were used to purchase the black granite bench.) So, fast forward to a couple of months ago, when I assigned an intern to start research on the 31 men whose names appear on the World War II monument. I published those names in the Historical Society newsletter and asked folks to share any information they might have. I received an email from Brian Duddy, who now lives in Ohio. Brian is retired Lt. Colonel from the Air Force (He also wrote the book on the Woodward Airport)– and he enjoys assembling airplane models. He was at a model show, and looked at a P 47D Thunderbolt and after doing a little research discovered a P 47 D with LeRoy, N.Y on the nose. That peaked his interest and he discovered the story of Milt Thompson, and emailed me. Brian thought it was only fitting that Milt Thompson’s name be added to the World War II monument on Trigon because Milt had flown 91 missions in Europe during World War II. In fact, Milt’s older brother Robert is on the World War II stone. He was a paratrooper and was captured during the invasion of Italy and was killed escaping from a prisoner of war camp on December 7, 1943. But here is where the Milt Thompson story becomes interesting. M i l t o n T h o m p s o n graduated from LeRoy High School and enlisted in the Air Force and flew 91 combat missions in Europe during World War II. Brian sent me some information about the missions: “most of them were the type of dangerous close air support and ground attack missions that the 9th Air Force Thunderbolts were known for, including during the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and early 1945.” It was during a mission to destroy bridges on January 10, 1945, that Milt was wounded by flak and had to make an emergency landing to get treatment. . . . He survived at least one crash at the end of the war on May 1, 1945 near K i t z e n g e n Germany, the final wartime base of the 405th. He returned home after the war and stayed in the Air Force Air National Guard during the Korean War. He was assigned to the 136th Fighter Squadron in Niagara Falls. During a training flight on February 11, 1952, he was killed in a crash near Mansfield, Ohio. His funeral in LeRoy, was described in the newspaper as “one of the most impressive military services seen here, and the first in recent years." A delegation of 50 members of his unit from the Niagara Falls base escorted his body and provided a guard of honor at the Steuber Funeral Home on Trigon Park. The stores in LeRoy closed during the service and Main Street was lined with people who silently watched as the funeral procession came down Main Street. A military service was held in the chapel at Machpelah Cemetery. His wife Rosalyn, was presented with the flag that draped his coffin. The military ceremony concluded with a salute from the gun squad and the playing of Taps by Bugler, Lewis Davis of the Botts-Fiorito Post American Legion. Flags were at half-mast on all public buildings in LeRoy from Wednesday through Saturday. During the week, all service clubs in LeRoy, Rotary and LeRoy Business Council, paid silent tributes. On April 25, 1952, Milt’s only child, a son named after his father, was born. So, I wrote back to Brian Duddy, and said that I thought it was more appropriate to have Milt Thompson’s name added to the Korean War bench, and I would try to see if any of the Thompson family was in the area. I posted a short note on LeRoy Then and Now and soon received a message from Milt’s granddaughter who still lives in LeRoy. She said that they had found some of her grandfather’s military things. In the meantime, I looked in the Machpelah Cemetery records to find where Milt Thompson is buried, only to discover that his name has never been on the veteran’s flag list. So, after 68 years, I placed a flag on his grave and added his name to the list. I’ve also made arrangements for his granddaughter to help clean his stone. I also discovered that his name is listed inWashington at the Korean monument. Today, I received a package from Brian Duddy with two models of the Thunderbolt plane that Milt Thompson flew, and a check to pay for the engraving on the Korean bench. As Brian wrote: “On the Air Force Team, we take care of our own.” Milt Thompson will be remembered this next May on Memorial Day. Forgotten Hometown Hero will be Remembered Milton Thompson, Sr. Highschool Bio., O-at-kan 1938