In January of 1951, Jim enlisted in the United States Navy and was stationed in Pensacola Florida to train as a Navy pilot. Upon graduating, Jim entered Yakima Valley Community College. As a youngster, his family moved to the Yakima Valley where he attended Naches High School, graduating in 1949.
5, 2021 in Centralia, Washington, just a few days past his 89th birthday. James “Jim” Wesley Thompson was born Jin Spearfish, South Dakota, to Stewart and Mildred Irene (Lockhard) Thompson.