Photographs show everything and nothing.
A United States gunship launching missiles into the air, as gray smoke billows across the sky.
Stoic faces of enemy troops sitting at gunpoint, slightly betrayed by their telling eyes.
A victim of a flame thrower waiting for the slightest human touch or breeze to send his fragile ash silhouette to the ground.
The yellowing photos in Independence Township resident and World War II veteran George Thompson’s pocket-size album are a collection of windows into the complexity of human interaction in combat. Some of them are face down.
Thompson, 87, served as a scout in Fox Company of the 25th Division of the 27th infantry in the United States Army. He served in the invasion of the Philippines and saw Hiroshima 30 days after the atomic bomb fell during his service in World War II.
‘I was a professional jungle fighter,? said Thompson. ‘I was a scout with an automatic weapon. I went ahead of my platoon just far enough so they could still see me as we cut through the jungle.?
Thompson demonstrated with shaky but trained hands signals used to send the troops to the ground or to disperse or other tactics for encountering enemy lines approximately 60 years ago.
‘What worried us the most was the enemy knew where we were and we didn’t know where they were? I don’t know what’s worse, that or being out in the open,? said Thompson.
Recalling the harsh conditions during his 189 straight days in jungle combat, Thompson laughed about the ‘hippie-like? beard he grew.
‘You had to be quick (to shower) when the rain came because in about ten minutes everything was dry,? said Thompson, who explained the 110 degree temperature dried everything quickly. ‘You should have seen us.
‘We slept in foxholes with one eye open like a cat, if you could sleep at all. I was lucky, they would sometimes pull a tank over my foxhole (for protection),? he added.
‘I was black and blue from hitting the ground’when you took a dive, they told us to roll once you hit the ground, that way you were hopefully out of range of the enemy fighter,? said Thompson.
As part of his platoon, Thompson was proficient at eight weapons, including a machine gun and bazooka.
‘If one person got knocked out, it was essential to take his place until we got replacements,? he said.
Thompson recalled his equipment seeming to weigh more than he did. His load contained a full field pack, two canteens, 13 magazines of ammunition , 10 bandoleers with 80 rounds each, six total grenades and other equipment.
A Bronze Star Medal, which is a U.S. military decoration awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service in combat not involving flight, represents his proudest accomplishment. He earned the medal in combat as the Army tried to take a hill.
‘I was trapped between two Japanese machine guns (in the Phillipines) and what was left of my platoon and company advanced to the rear to regroup. I spent 12 hours alone,? said Thompson. ‘I hate the word retreat, because it implies failure. They just fell back to regroup.’They came back and it was a good thing they did.?
Thompson estimates only eight members of his 20 member platoon remained and said a depression in the ground he laid in was key to his survival from enemy fire. ‘I wasn’t scared, I was petrified. I hugged the ground.?
To pass the time when not in combat, Thompson played a guitar (which he still owns) that he took overseas with him. He played mostly country music to ease the tension, including Hank Williams.
‘The only singing we did was with our rifles. We sang a lot of the blues,? Thompson laughed. ‘You could hear a lot of guys praying.?
After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Thompson spent over two months in the city performing several tasks. One of his jobs was destroying what remained of Japanese military equipment.
‘Hiroshima looked like the top of a table with nothing on it. There were some small pieces of buildings left, but not much else,? said Thompson.
‘The heat (from the bomb) was so terrible,? he added. ‘A lot of the time you could see the imprint or outline of the bodies on the ground. You want to talk about scary.?
Thompson maintains the bombing was necessary to prevent a costly land invasion that would have forced Japanese citizens to fight.
‘We can’t blame the Japanese citizens, they didn’t want the war any more than we did. It was the greedy emperor who brainwashed every soldier they had,? said Thompson, who has several artifacts including a sword, watch and military medal that once belonged to Japanese soldiers.
On Feb. 26, 1945 Thompson was honorably discharged from the military and returned to Tacoma, Washington.
‘I got on my hands and knees and kissed the ground. That’s how happy I was to come back in one piece,? said Thompson.
Thompson’s Bronze Star Medal did not arrive until Dec. of 1991. Offering no concrete explanation for the delay, he said there are a few more coming his way, but he has no idea when.
‘It’s a shame they have to be lax at recognizing the troops,? said Thompson, who disapproves with much that is done by the government in regards to benefits.
‘There’s not enough done. I’d like the veterans to get what they’re entitled to? like prescriptions and benefits. The only time the veterans get their prescriptions is when they’re on their deathbed,? he continued. ‘The prescriptions offered now are nothing but a joke. I’m not saying it’s not helping some people, but most if it’s a joke.?
The current United States military operations are sometimes on his mind.
Thompson admits the combat facing troops today differs in some ways from his experience.
‘It’s a different kind of fighting. Being out in the open is as bad or worse as being in the jungles when they hear you coming. It’s unfortunate we have people (terrorists) who believe killing others will save them,? said Thompson.
‘The flag flies half-mast and I’ll have it that way until all of them are back from Afghanistan and Iraq. They don’t have to tell me when to fly it half-mast, because we lose someone everyday.?
George Thompson lives with his wife Ruth in Independence Township. The Thompsons share seven children between them and have 17 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.