happen
      if
      they
      fell
      overboard.
     
    

    
     
      Thompson
      was
      in
      hospital
      for
     
     
      weeks
      on
      end,
      then
      began
      staff
      and
     
     
      paper
      work
      at
      Canadian
      Military
     
     
      Headquarters
      in
      London,
      all
      the
      time
     
     
      longing
      to
      go
      back
      out
      and
      fight
      with
     
     
      his
      regiment.
     
    

    
     
      "I
      missed
      the
      contact
      with
      peo-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ple.
     
     
      Though
      his
      leg
      was
      not
      ready
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      it,
      he
      finally
      began
      heading
      back
      to
     
     
      where
      his
      fellow
      soldiers
      were
      fight-
     
     
      ing.
      He
      wore
      a
      special
      type
      of
      boot
     
     
      that
      climbed
      to
      his
      knee;
      the
      shorter
     
     
      ones
      rubbed
      the
      wound
      he
      had
      gotten
     
     
      in
      France.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thompson
      recalls
      the
     
     
      doctor
      saying
      that
      when
     
     
      he
      came
      into
      the
      hospital,
     
     
      the
      doctor
      was
      going
      to
     
     
      flip
      a
      coin
      to
      decide
     
     
      whether
      or
      not
      he
      would
     
     
      amputate
      his
      injured
      leg.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      after
      all
      the
      walking,
      his
     
     
      leg
      hurt
      so
      bad
      he
      had
      to
      go
      back.
     
     
      Even
      today
      he
      wonders
      if
      he
      hurt
      his
     
     
      leg
      even
      more
      by
      doing
      so,
      but
      he
      is
     
     
      glad
      he
      tried
      going
      back.
     
    

    
     
      Thompson
      arrived
      back
      in
     
     
      Canada
      May
      1945
      and
      went
      to
      British
     
     
      Columbia
      to
      the
      Pacific
      Training
     
     
      Brigade.
      When
      the
      war
      with
      Japan
     
     
      ended
      he
      went
      back
      to
      New
     
     
      Brunswick,
      serving
      a
      short
      stint
      at
     
     
      Camp
      Sussex
      before
      being
      discharged
     
     
      a
      year
      later.
      During
      his
      time,
      he
     
     
      received
      many
      medals
      -
      1939-1947
     
     
      Star;
      France
      and
      Germany
      Star,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pr
      oil
     
     
      Defence
      Medal,
      C.V.S.M.
      and
      Clasp
     
     
      War
      Medal,
      Canadian
      Efficiency
     
     
      Medal,
      Canadian
      Forces
      Decoration,
     
     
      Coronation
      Medal,
      Centennial
      Medal
     
     
      and
      the
      Jubilee
      Medal.
      His
      house
      is
     
     
      adorned
      with
      many
      other
      photographs,
     
     
      including
      one
      of
      him
      with
      Prime
     
     
      Minister
      Pierre
      Elliot
      Trudeau
      and
      oth-
     
     
      ers
      of
      a
      memorial
      he
      helped
      secure
      in
     
     
      France.
     
    

    
     
      For
      a
      time,
      he
      wanted
      to
      go
      to
     
     
      university
      and
      become
      a
      lawyer,
      but
     
     
      the
      universities
      were
      so
      full
      he
      had
      to
     
     
      think
      of
      alternate
      career
      options.
      His
     
     
      choice?
      The
      Royal
      Canadian
      Legion.
     
     
      He
      recalls
      it
      being
      an
      interesting
      time
     
     
      as
      he
      was
      helping
      veterans
      and
      their
     
     
      dependants
      receive
      the
      benefits
      they
     
     
      were
      entitled
      to
      postwar.
      After
      serving
     
     
      in
      New
      Brunswick
      for
      a
      couple
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      years,
      he
      moved
      to
      Ottawa
      to
      become
     
     
      executive
      assistant
      to
      what
      was
      called
     
     
      Dominion
      Secretary
      of
      the
      Legion.
     
    

    
     
      Just
      like
      in
      the
      military,
      he
      rose
     
     
      through
      the
      ranks.
     
    

    
     
      He
      says
      he
      felt
      privileged
      to
     
     
      help
      veterans.
     
    

    
     
      He
      was
      appointed
      Chairman
      of
     
     
      the
      War
      Veterans
      Board,
      an
      independ-
     
     
      ent
      agency
      with
      Veterans
      Affairs.
     
    

    
     
      "I
      was
      now
      in
      a
      position
      to
     
     
      remedy
      many
      of
      the
      injustices
      I
      had
     
     
      previously
      complained
      of,"
      he
      says
      of
     
     
      that
      position.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1979
      he
      was
      appointed
     
     
      Honourary
      Colonel
      and
      a
      year
      later,
     
     
      when
      Veterans
      Affairs
      moved
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Charlottetown,
      Thompson
      and
      his
      wife
     
    
   
   
    
     
      moved
      with
      them
      -
      and
      he
      has
      been
      in
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      ever
      since.
      In
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1989
      he
      retired.
      Not
      one
      to
      sit
      ina
     
     
      rocking
      chair,
      he
      has
      been
      active
      in
      the
     
     
      community
      even
      to
      today,
      working
     
     
      with
      the
      Provincial
      Seniors
      Advisory
     
     
      Council
      among
      many
      other
      things.
      In
     
     
      fact,
      his
      picture
      and
      biography
      are
     
     
      included
      in
      a
      brochure
      for
      an
      Ottawa
     
     
      Walking
      Tour
      -
      Heroes
      2001.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Each
      day,
      there
      was
      a
     
     
      new
      password
      among
      the
     
     
      men
      so
      they
      could
      identi-.
     
    

    
     
      fy
      themselves.
      When
     
    

    
     
      Thompson
      came
      face
      to
     
     
      face
      with
      a
      stun
      gun,
      he
     
     
      heard
      someone
      say,
     
     
      “Punch.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thompson
      often
      wishes
      it
      did-
     
     
      n't
      take
      so
      many
      studies
      and
      reports
      to
     
     
      get
      things
      done
      nowadays,
      saying,
      "I
     
     
      often
      think
      that
      if
      D-Day
      had
      been
     
     
      planned
      by
      today's
      standards
      of
      plan-
     
     
      ning,
      we
      would
      all
      have
      been
      receiving
     
     
      Old
      Age
      Pension
      before
      we
      landed."
     
    

    
     
      What
      Thompson
      remembers
     
     
      the
      most,
      though,
      is
      the
      feeling
      of
     
     
      family
      he
      had
      with
      all
      of
      the
      men
      he
     
     
      served
      within
      the
      battle.
      When
      some-
     
     
      one
      helps
      someone
      in
      battle,
      it
      is
      not
     
     
      because
      of
      the
      pay
      they
      receive.
     
     
      "He
      does
      it
      because
      he's
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      family.
      It's
      what's
      there
      on
      the
     
     
      ground
      that
      counts,"
      he
      says.
     
    

    
     
      ‘But
      one
      of
      his
      favourite
      say-
     
     
      ings
      that
      he
      was
      used
      ever
      since
      he
     
     
      was
      in
      the
      Cameron
      Highlands?
     
    

    
     
      "We
      may:
      not
      have
      been
      the
     
     
      best,
      but
      there
      were
      none
      better."