Second Lieutenant Thompson was a crew member of a C-54D Skymaster transport from the 22nd Troop Carried Squadron, 374th Troop Carried Wing. On 9 November 1950, while on a combat mission, the aircraft crashed three miles north of Pyongyang, North Korea. The remains were recovered.

Thompson was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.