Memorial

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Pvt Chester H. Thompson was employed at Adams Brothers.

He enlisted on 13 May 1944 at Fort Logan, Colorado.

His tank and another one of his company were knocked out by anti-tank fire.
Sgt James R. Fischer was the driver of Sgt Loyd’s tank in which Pvt Thompson was a crew member. His son gave the following account from his father’s letters about what happened that day: Sometime during the day on 29 March 1945 my father got orders to move his tank platoon in position to attack a farmhouse which was heavily armed with German machine guns and light artillery. Sgt Raymond T. Loyd was in the same tank as my father. My father was the driver. According to my father's account, when the tanks began their attack the Germans responded with a volley of hellish fire. At a given point my father told Loyd that he could hardly see out of the periscope. Dad said that Loyd said he was going to open the hatch, and look out to get a line and guide them in. When Loyd stuck his head out the hatch he was hit by fire from the Germans and fell back in the tank instantly killed. For years my father said he was haunted by the memory of that headless body in the tank.
Three crew members were killed: Raymond A. Rusch and Raymond T. Loyd were the other two. Their remains were never recovered.