A Moving Memorial
|
| Kory and Amanda Thompson, seen in the reflection of their '98 Nissan pickup truck, came to the Freedom run to honor Michael Thompson; Kory's son and Amanda's brother. Michael was killed in a Chinook helicopter crash in Iraq on Sept. 17, 2008. The family dedicated Michael's truck in his memory. (Herald Photo by Jo Ann Hustis) |
MARSEILLES – Screaming downward through the night sky over Iraq, the Chinook helicopter nosedived deep into the earth, taking her entire crew of seven with her.
"Red River 44 was flying at 500 feet at 150 miles an hour, low and fast," Kory Thompson of Harrah, Okla., recalled of the Army helicopter that took his 24-year-old son, National Guard gunner Michael Eyre Thompson, to his death at 11:45 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2008.
"I was told they literally flew right into the ground. Nobody knows why. They don't think it was mechanical problems or that it was shot down. They did call 'Fallen Angel,' and every available helicopter and ground unit converged on the site. They don't know what caused it."
Fallen Angel is the extreme distress signal, like 'Mayday.'
Michael Thompson's name is engraved on the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial, along with those of his crewmates.
"All seven are on the wall, one after another," said his father in the wake of the Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run last Saturday to rededicate the monument to the military nationwide killed in combat in the Middle East since 1979.
Thompson's dedication to the memory of his son is reflected in the makeover of Michael's 1998 Nissan pickup truck. Michael had purchased the 4-wheel drive used, and had it about a year.
Once beaten and battered, the truck is now all refurbished and painted a deep, luminous black. Two professionally executed airbrushed images of Michael are centered on the hood and tailgate. The American flag ripples across the doors and body on both sides.
"You should have seen this truck when Michael was driving it," said Thompson. "He was a happy-go-lucky, let's-go-chase-the-girls typical young G.I. When he put that uniform on, though, he was different. He was serious about it, believed in what he was doing, and was good at it.
"He'd drive that truck out to the base, and they'd have to push it to start it again. The back was full of cans and fishing poles. There were stains on the sides because he didn't wash it."
The garage that did the work cleaned both the interior and exterior fixed, replaced or repaired whatever was broken and dented, installed a bedliner in the back, and mounted new tires and wheels.
"R.T. Foster did the paint job," said Thompson of the four-month stint the artist put in to produce the images. "It's all freehand airbrush."
The artwork is covered with 12 to 13 coats of clear lacquer for protection and added dimension.
Foster removed the hood of the truck and brought it home with him to paint the mural of Michael with his machine gun. When the hood was finished, he brought it back to the garage and took the tailgate home for the rest of the artwork.
The central image on the tailgate depict Michael in civilian dress, seated in a flatbottom boat, fishing pole in hand and his dog beside him, both gazing across the lake.
"It's from his last fishing trip," said Thompson.
Other images on the tailgate include Michael's Army Chinook helicopter, named Red River 44 because of the proximity of his air base to the Texas border, and his military decorations - the Bronze Star for bravery, Good Conduct Medal, Commendation Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism and Iraqi Campaign medals.
Also, the Oklahoma Distinguished Service Award, the highest award given by that state, and the Lone Star Commendation Medal, the highest award by the state of Texas.
Michael grew up in Kingston, Okla., right on the border with Texas, and went into the Army on a 3-year tour of duty in 2004. He was head machine gunner from 2005 to 2006, then went onto a 4-member sniper team as the heavy machine gun backup. He progressed to the spotter position, then shooter, and eventually team leader. He had more than 50 missions under his belt when his tour ended in 2007.
"He was out about 9 months when he came to me last year and said, "Dad, I've got to go back into the Army National Guard. I just miss being a soldier, You know how I am,'" Thompson noted.
"I said, 'Son, you're a grown man. You know what you want to do. Go for it.'"
Comments
