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The Staff of SOH
Prayer Request
- Thread starter fsxar177
- Start date
fsxar177
Long-Time Enthusiast
ANOTHER UPDATE
To any and all who have followed this thread, thank-you!
We're hoping to get my Dad to the Air races in 2012. We're not sure if it can happen, or even if he will still be with us then. Nevertheless, he is in good cheer. Still working part-time, and he has enough energy to take each day as it comes. Today, he forwarded me the following to anyone interested:
"I wanted to add a note regarding my cancer and the days I have ahead of me. My Dad, Ernest Lloyd Thompson, was diagnosed with the same rare Salivary Gland cancer in November 2000 at age 77. The doctors felt they caught it early and did surgery to remove the main tumor and radiation treatments. The radiation severely damaged his throat and he was then only able to eat or drink with a stomach tube. It left him barely able to talk and then it was only for short duration periods, and hard to understand. He passed away from the cancer in April 2004. I have the same cancer, but it was caught far too late for any conventional treatment.
My Dad was my hero. After taking some flying lessons in Prescott, AZ in 1940-41 in a J-2 Cub he went to aircraft mechanics school in L.A. After Pearl Harbor he went to work in Long Beach, CA for Douglas at the tail end of the SBD Dauntless production line where on night shift he would run down a thorough checklist, start the aircraft, and taxi it across a highway (shut down at night) to an airport and go back and get another one. In 1942 he signed up with the Army Air Corps but having washed out of a pilot program he signed up to be a gunner on bombers. He ended up in B-17s and was on 50 combat missions out of North Africa and Italy between July 1943 and March 1944.
As top turret gunner/flight engineer on the latter half of those missions with the 301st BG/419th BS he learned more about piloting. The flight engineers were trained to be able to fly the bomber home and land it if the pilots were both injured. As a gunner he was credited with 2.5 kills (1.5 Messerschmitt 109’s and an Italian Reggiane Re, 2001 fighter. In April 1944 he was sent to Pyote AAF in Texas where he got flying time (right seat) in more B-17s and some B-25s. He had a Lieutenant solo him there in a Stinson L-5.
He bought a Waco UPF-7 after the war in hometown Prescott, AZ, and became friends with Charlie Tucker there. He assisted Tucker’s brother in the wing-clipping of the two P-63 Kingcobras Tucker had bought surplus for racing. He got to ferry a third surplus P-63 from Kingman to Prescott for another race pilot in 1946, his first time to fly a fighter. I think I first became an air racing fan looking at and asking about the photos of Tucker’s P-63C’s and Jackie Cochran’s P-51B in my dad’s photo albums.
In 1947 he rejoined the Air Force and was sent to the elite 509th Composite Group (393rd BS) at Roswell, NM and made a gunner on B-29s. In 1950 he was transferred to March AFB and joined with the 22nd BG, 2nd Bomb Squadron. They flew early B-29 missions over North Korea from Kadena between July and October 1950, 29 combat missions for my Dad.
In 1952 the 22nd became a KC-97 outfit (after my father had racked up 2,678.5 hrs. in B-29s). In September of 1955 at age 10 weeks and 2 days I got my first airplane ride in a Stinson 108-1 from Riverside to Van Nuys. In 1957 he was sent to Castle AFB (Atwater, CA) and into early KC-135s. He was a boom operator in the tankers. Retirement came in 1963.
In 1965 my dad was doing flight instruction and charter flying out of San Carlos, CA. On my 10th birthday that year he bought me a Bible and asked me to memorize John 3:16. I did that and over the next three years began to have a fair head knowledge of what the scriptures said about the gift of eternal life and the reality of hell for those who simply reject that gift. Two weeks after my thirteenth birthday this head knowledge of basic Bible truth hit home with me as not being enough. I prayed a sinners prayer asking the Lord Jesus Christ to become my savior personally as I put my full trust (100%) in Christ’s finished work on the cross as my only means of eternal salvation, and not based on a single good thing I had done or my Christian parents, or anything else. I asked for that free gift made possible only by the blood of Christ shed on the cross and his death, burial, and resurrection from the grave. He did all of the work as a perfect sacrifice for my sins, once and for all.
The next day my Dad was flying in an airshow in Salem, Oregon. I had been at a youth camp that whole week and so I ran through the crowd, past the rope line and out to my Dad’s plane to tell him the news. That day I trusted Christ was 44 years ago, July 26, 1968. I can testify that I have no doubts about my eternal life and no fear of death itself. This cancer may take me home before I see five of my six children marry and have my grandchildren. I may not even make it to Reno 2012, but I have everlasting life and a home in heaven for sure. That is most important and I would have been amiss to not take the opportunity to tell you and others I may have contact with in these last months. So I give you my testimony and of the Dad who I will be one day soon be reunited with.
Please read these verses in the book of Romans: Romans 3:10, 3:23, 5:12, 6:23, 5:8-9, and 10:9, 13
Lowell
To any and all who have followed this thread, thank-you!
We're hoping to get my Dad to the Air races in 2012. We're not sure if it can happen, or even if he will still be with us then. Nevertheless, he is in good cheer. Still working part-time, and he has enough energy to take each day as it comes. Today, he forwarded me the following to anyone interested:
"I wanted to add a note regarding my cancer and the days I have ahead of me. My Dad, Ernest Lloyd Thompson, was diagnosed with the same rare Salivary Gland cancer in November 2000 at age 77. The doctors felt they caught it early and did surgery to remove the main tumor and radiation treatments. The radiation severely damaged his throat and he was then only able to eat or drink with a stomach tube. It left him barely able to talk and then it was only for short duration periods, and hard to understand. He passed away from the cancer in April 2004. I have the same cancer, but it was caught far too late for any conventional treatment.
My Dad was my hero. After taking some flying lessons in Prescott, AZ in 1940-41 in a J-2 Cub he went to aircraft mechanics school in L.A. After Pearl Harbor he went to work in Long Beach, CA for Douglas at the tail end of the SBD Dauntless production line where on night shift he would run down a thorough checklist, start the aircraft, and taxi it across a highway (shut down at night) to an airport and go back and get another one. In 1942 he signed up with the Army Air Corps but having washed out of a pilot program he signed up to be a gunner on bombers. He ended up in B-17s and was on 50 combat missions out of North Africa and Italy between July 1943 and March 1944.
As top turret gunner/flight engineer on the latter half of those missions with the 301st BG/419th BS he learned more about piloting. The flight engineers were trained to be able to fly the bomber home and land it if the pilots were both injured. As a gunner he was credited with 2.5 kills (1.5 Messerschmitt 109’s and an Italian Reggiane Re, 2001 fighter. In April 1944 he was sent to Pyote AAF in Texas where he got flying time (right seat) in more B-17s and some B-25s. He had a Lieutenant solo him there in a Stinson L-5.
He bought a Waco UPF-7 after the war in hometown Prescott, AZ, and became friends with Charlie Tucker there. He assisted Tucker’s brother in the wing-clipping of the two P-63 Kingcobras Tucker had bought surplus for racing. He got to ferry a third surplus P-63 from Kingman to Prescott for another race pilot in 1946, his first time to fly a fighter. I think I first became an air racing fan looking at and asking about the photos of Tucker’s P-63C’s and Jackie Cochran’s P-51B in my dad’s photo albums.
In 1947 he rejoined the Air Force and was sent to the elite 509th Composite Group (393rd BS) at Roswell, NM and made a gunner on B-29s. In 1950 he was transferred to March AFB and joined with the 22nd BG, 2nd Bomb Squadron. They flew early B-29 missions over North Korea from Kadena between July and October 1950, 29 combat missions for my Dad.
In 1952 the 22nd became a KC-97 outfit (after my father had racked up 2,678.5 hrs. in B-29s). In September of 1955 at age 10 weeks and 2 days I got my first airplane ride in a Stinson 108-1 from Riverside to Van Nuys. In 1957 he was sent to Castle AFB (Atwater, CA) and into early KC-135s. He was a boom operator in the tankers. Retirement came in 1963.
In 1965 my dad was doing flight instruction and charter flying out of San Carlos, CA. On my 10th birthday that year he bought me a Bible and asked me to memorize John 3:16. I did that and over the next three years began to have a fair head knowledge of what the scriptures said about the gift of eternal life and the reality of hell for those who simply reject that gift. Two weeks after my thirteenth birthday this head knowledge of basic Bible truth hit home with me as not being enough. I prayed a sinners prayer asking the Lord Jesus Christ to become my savior personally as I put my full trust (100%) in Christ’s finished work on the cross as my only means of eternal salvation, and not based on a single good thing I had done or my Christian parents, or anything else. I asked for that free gift made possible only by the blood of Christ shed on the cross and his death, burial, and resurrection from the grave. He did all of the work as a perfect sacrifice for my sins, once and for all.
The next day my Dad was flying in an airshow in Salem, Oregon. I had been at a youth camp that whole week and so I ran through the crowd, past the rope line and out to my Dad’s plane to tell him the news. That day I trusted Christ was 44 years ago, July 26, 1968. I can testify that I have no doubts about my eternal life and no fear of death itself. This cancer may take me home before I see five of my six children marry and have my grandchildren. I may not even make it to Reno 2012, but I have everlasting life and a home in heaven for sure. That is most important and I would have been amiss to not take the opportunity to tell you and others I may have contact with in these last months. So I give you my testimony and of the Dad who I will be one day soon be reunited with.
Please read these verses in the book of Romans: Romans 3:10, 3:23, 5:12, 6:23, 5:8-9, and 10:9, 13
Lowell
My mother died of pancreatic cancer last year, and I just lost my aunt two weeks ago, so I know exactly what you're going through. My mother's cancer was already Level IV when the doctors found it - full metastasis, so there was nothing we could do except keep her comfortable. My only advice is that you REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. I was once a full-time care-giver, and I had a heart attack before age 40. I wish you and your family every good thing.
JAMES
brad kaste
Charter Member
RE: 23rd Psalm
Joseph,....we're all pulling for your Dad. Like many, I find the 23rd Psalm by David comforting during times you and your family are going through.
Joseph,....we're all pulling for your Dad. Like many, I find the 23rd Psalm by David comforting during times you and your family are going through.
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.