Military service binds family’s generations

Donn Thompson’s grandfather, Robert Thompson, wasn’t impressed when he first saw his grandson in 1923.

“I was so scrawny my grandfather said to my mom, ‘Ruby, he’ll never make it,’ ” Donn recalled with a grin.

Today, that scrawny kid is celebrating his 99th birthday by competing in a cornhole tournament at Rockwood Retirement South Hill, where he and his wife, Dude, (pronounced Dew-dee) recently moved.

“He’s been practicing,” she said.

Donn nodded.

“If my balance was better, I could kill that game.”

Donn graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1941 and was attending the University of Washington when the attack on Pearl Harbor took place. He decided he didn’t want to wait for his draft number to come up and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943.

“They’re the best,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the best.”

His family has a storied military history and Donn’s son, George, is writing a book about the family’s legacy of service that runs from the French-Indian Wars to today. He’s including his father’s WWII experiences.

“He saw a lot and did a lot during the war … and survived it in one piece but rarely if ever, talked about it,” George said.

The grandfather that pronounced Donn “scrawny,” served in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War. He was captured and interned in Andersonville Prison. After his release, he became a lawyer and a judge.

Donn’s father, Earl, was a Spanish-American War veteran who served with the 1st Marine Battalion. He was one of the last living veterans of that war when he died at 97, in Spokane.

The Thompson’s oldest son, Donn Jr., enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War. As a corpsman, he was attached to the Marine Corps and served two tours of duty. Donn’s grandson, Trevor, is on active duty as a Navy SEAL.

It seems a hearty constitution and sea legs are genetic. That came in handy when Donn was sent to Pearl Harbor for training after boot camp.

“It got really choppy on the ship and I was on K.P. duty,” he recalled. “Everybody was sick. I’d put food in front of them, and they’d vomit. I’d clean up the mess and then give them fruit.”

Donn was too busy to get sick.

He was trained as a radio telephone operator and spent 27 months in the Pacific theater.

“Their chances of survival in a Marine combat unit during WWII were poor – second only to Marine officers,” George said. “Only two of the 178 Marines in my father’s original company were still standing when the war ended. He was one of them.”

Donn is proud of his family’s service.

“The military is not an easy thing,” he said.

That’s why he appreciated having letters from home to look forward to, including missives from Dude, who saw his photo in his sister Jane’s dorm at the University of Idaho.

When he returned home in 1945, he asked his pen pal for a date. On April 6, they’ll celebrate their 75th anniversary.

He thinks a happy marriage helps make for a long life.

“We’re still very much in love with each other.”

Dude glanced at him.

“He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met,” she said.

Donn smiled.

“If we don’t agree, I know when to keep my mouth shut.”

The couple raised their four children in California, but returned to Spokane and built a home on the South Hill in 1992.

They stayed active, especially when Donn formed a golf team at the Southside Community Center.

“We golfed for 18 years,” Dude said. “Now, there’s only about four of the 18 members left.”

Donn feels fortunate to have been part of what’s often referred to as the Greatest Generation.

“We took care of ourselves and our neighbors,” Donn said. “We’ve had such a great life and lived in the best time, ever.”