John P. "Jack" Thompson, age 91 of Springville, TN passed away Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at the Tennessee State Veteran's Home in Clarksville, TN. Funeral service 11:00AM Friday, January 27, 2017 at McEvoy Funeral Home with Gary S. Collier officiating, burial will follow at Birds Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Named as pallbearers are Kimberly Oberkirsch, James D. Oberkirsch, Benjamin Sutton and James "Jim" Waddell. Visitation 9:00AM Friday until service time. He was born September 15, 1925 in Paris, TN to the late John Porter Thompson and Mary E. Hartsfield Thompson. On December 15, 2000 he married Judith Hall Thompson, she survives Springville, TN. He was preceded by his first wife: Bettie Bates Thompson, April 22, 1998. Survived by daughters: Jacquline Wagner, Camden, TN, Judy Lee (Michael) Toombs, Nevada, Beth Macko, Nashville, TN, Betty (Steve) Kuykendall, Paris, TN; grandchildren: seven; great-grandchildren: four; cousins: John (Harriet) Ross, Savannah, TN, Mary Jane Thompson (Richard) King, Paris, TN. John P. "Jack" Thompson spent the better part of his life in the service of his country and regularly presented the flag to families of deceased veterans during the funeral flag ceremony. He fought in three wars: WWII, Korea and Vietnam with both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. His military career began with entering the Junior Military Academy in Bloomington Springs, TN. He graduated from Columbia Military Academy in 1943. He was appointed to the Naval Training Center at Brainbridge, MD, transferred to the Navy yards at Washington, D.C. and was assigned to security of the yards and served on the sea-going crew of President Franklin D. Roosevelts presidential yacht in the sea-going detachment. Jack was reassigned to Camp Lejeune, NC and served in the Pacific Theater with the 6th Marine Division arriving in Okinawa April 1945. He was wounded there while serving with the machine gun section of Company I and was sent to Guam to recover and there received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. He transferred to the inactive reserve in 1946 later receiving a recommendation from his colonel that he apply to officers candidate school (OCS). Discharged from the Marine Reserve on May 9, 1949 and the next day enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for OCS. After 13 weeks he left the program and was transferred to the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Division, Aviation Section. He was sent to Korea August 1950 and after traveling to North Korea and back to South Korea to Camp Wejonbu he was promoted to staff Sergeant, returning to the states in 1951. In 1965 he attained the rank of sergeant first class, later receiving orders for Vietnam in 1967. He returned to Fort Campbell to form the 61st helicopter Company air assault, as operations sergeant. Going to Quinyon, Vietnam and while there was promoted to master sergeant. In 1968 he returned to Fort Rucker, Alabama to the Airfield Command as acting senior non-commissioned officer in charge, later retiring from the military in 1970. Mr. Thompson was also a member of the Tennessee State Guard where he attained the rank of Brigadier General. He retired in 1995 as the Paris Police Departments parking officer. Jack was a lifetime member of the American Legion, VFW, AMVETS, the Retired Enlisted Association, Disabled American Veterans, 6th Marine Corps League and the Non-Commissioned Officer Association. Memorials may be made to: DAV, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250 or Tennessee State Veterans' Home, Attn: Music Department, 250 Arrowood Drive, Clarksville, TN 37042. John P. "Jack" Thompson spent the better part of his life in the service of his country and regularly presented the flag to families of deceased veterans during the funeral flag ceremony. He fought in three wars: WWII, Korea and Vietnam with both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. His military career began with entering the Junior Military Academy in Bloomington Springs, TN. He graduated from Columbia Military Academy in 1943. He was appointed to the Naval Training Center at Brainbridge, MD, transferred to the Navy yards at Washington, D.C. and was assigned to security of the yards and served on the sea-going crew of President Franklin D. Roosevelts presidential yacht in the sea-going detachment. Jack was reassigned to Camp Lejeune, NC and served in the Pacific Theater with the 6th Marine Division arriving in Okinawa April 1945. He was wounded there while serving with the machine gun section of Company I and was sent to Guam to recover and there received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. He transferred to the inactive reserve in 1946 later receiving a recommendation from his colonel that he apply to officers candidate school (OCS). Discharged from the Marine Reserve on May 9, 1949 and the next day enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for OCS. After 13 weeks he left the program and was transferred to the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Division, Aviation Section. He was sent to Korea August 1950 and after traveling to North Korea and back to South Korea to Camp Wejonbu he was promoted to staff Sergeant, returning to the states in 1951. In 1965 he attained the rank of sergeant first class, later receiving orders for Vietnam in 1967. He returned to Fort Campbell to form the 61st helicopter Company air assault, as operations sergeant. Going to Quinyon, Vietnam and while there was promoted to master sergeant. In 1968 he returned to Fort Rucker, Alabama to the Airfield Command as acting senior non-commissioned officer in charge, later retiring from the military in 1970. Mr. Thompson was also a member of the Tennessee State Guard where he attained the rank of Brigadier General. He retired in 1995 as the Paris Police Departments parking officer. Jack was a lifetime member of the American Legion, VFW, AMVETS, the Retired Enlisted Association, Disabled American Veterans, 6th Marine Corps League and the Non-Commissioned Officer Association. Memorials may be made to: DAV, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250 or Tennessee State Veterans' Home, Attn: Music Department, 250 Arrowood Drive, Clarksville, TN 37042. SERVICES Funeral Service

Friday, January 27, 2017 11:00 AM

McEvoy Funeral Home, Inc. 507 West Washington Street Paris, Tennessee 38242