Michael Timothy Thompson passed on September 12, 2017 while on a routine visit to a Veterans Administration clinic in Pennsylvania. A resident of Fort Myers, FL, Michael and his wife Diane had gone to visit daughter Janice while dodging Hurricane Irma which was to pass directly over their house. Michael was at the VA to be evaluated for a new heart medicine. Michael was returned to Colorado and interred at Fort Logan National Cemetery.
Michael served in Company B, 2dn Battalion, 502nd Infantry in Vietnam. Although wounded twice, he returned to his unit each time to continue the fight. That was Michael.
Michael was a member of the Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Association for many years until he and Diane moved to Ft. Myers from Commerce City. Beset with health issues, Michael still had a quick smile for any and everyone. His reputation as a husband and father is well shown in a poem written by daughter Jodi:
The Life of a Soldier
We have an understanding, you and I.
We sit in silence. Nothing need be said.
I know the weight you carry.
You hold your head high, but inside you cry.
The life of a Soldier is not an easy one!
Memories haunt you!
You stand tall and show no fear.
The life of a Soldier is not an easy one!
You hear voices of days past that come rushing to your head.
You think to yourself, “He was a good one. Why is he dead?”
You wonder if you should have done things differently; no time to think, only react!
The life of a Soldier is not an easy one!
The guilt is too much to bear!
Although you were wounded, you question, “Why him and not me?”
You can’t forget the faces that were there!
The life of a Soldier is not an easy one!
We have an understanding, you and I!
You’re a Soldier for Life and its not been an easy one!
© Jodi Kucera, May 11, 2015