Remembering James Arthur Thompson

The following was shared with my by Paul and Cora Thompson in August 2018. 
Paul is the son of Albert Thompson, brother to Jim and Charley.

******

Sometimes called Jim Thompson Jr., so he wouldn’t be confused with his father also called Jim.

He was the 6th child of John James and Maggie (Margaret Paralee James) Thompson.
He was born at home at the Indian Gardens homestead of his father in Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona Territory, on April 22, 1895.


Jim grew up at the ranch. He attended school in the canyon, Indian Gardens, Red Rock and completed the 8th grade in Sedona. He worked on the ranch his entire life (with exception of his military service) with his mother and younger brothers. His father would die in April 1917.

April 1917, the United States entered “The Great War”, WWI with Germany.


Jim and his older brother Charley would receive draft notices for induction into the Army. They would receive basic training at “Camp William F. Cody”, Deming, New Mexico. Charley would go on to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and be assigned to the kitchens and mess halls as a cook. He would be there for the duration of the war.


Jim would go to New York City and join members of the N.Y. National Guard. His steel helmet would have the Statue of Liberty painted on the front. (I still have that helmet).


Jim would now be assigned to the American Expeditionary Force, CO H 300 11th Infantry. They would board troop ships for Halifax, Nova Scotia and on to France. While in the war zone he contacted the flu, the Spanish Influenza. This world wide pandemic would take more lives than the entire war. He survived the flu in a field hospital and was reassigned to the front. He said they had to march some distance and that he was still so weak that he could not keep up and had to fall out.


He was now assigned to grave registration burial duty. He told me there were hundreds of casualties from the flu and combat. Said his team would use scissors to cut the heavy string that held two “dog tags” identity tags that all soldiers had to wear around their neck. One tag was tied to the big toe of the dead man's foot before being placed in the burial coffin. The other tag was collected in bushel baskets for casualty and burial records. This terrible duty may have saved his life from the front line trenches.


I know the events of the war had a strong emotional impact on him.

November 11, 1918 would end this four year costly war. Jim would return home to the Indian Gardens Ranch. His younger brother Albert, with help from his younger brothers Green and Guy, had been operating the ranch with their mother.


With Jim’s return, my father Albert would enter the US Navy with basic training in San Francisco. He would be assigned to the ship, USS Tacoma.


Jim was pursuing a young lady with romantic interest when he was drafted into the Army. When he returned home, she had married someone else. He was never involved again and remained a bachelor the rest of his life.


After my dad got out of the Navy, he homesteaded his own ranch, never to live at the home place again.  Jim, his younger brother Guy and their mother operated the ranch until her death in June of 1935. The two brothers would inherit the ranch property and own it in partnership until Jim’s death in June 1956.  Guy would marry and raise a family, Jim would live with the family. Guy worked for the Arizona Highway Department as a truck driver and equipment operator in the maintenance dept on Hwy 89A in Oak Creek Canyon. Jim continued farming, raising fruit from the orchards and garden produce. He had horses and a small herd of cattle. He would drive his cattle up the Thompson Ladder trail to summer grazing near Munds Park.  In 1950 Guy would move to Red Rock and later buy a ranch in the Cottonwood area.


In the spring of `1956, Jim and Guy would sell the ranch to a land developer from the Phoenix area. The land deal was near closing. Jim had bought a new pickup and travel trailer. He would never use them. For recreation he would walk across the creek to the Indian Gardens store and skating rink. Here he would drink a couple bottles of beer and spend the evening playing pool with the regulars. This included his brother, Charley, and others. I was there with my cousin. Closing time, 10:00 pm with lights out. It was a very dark night with overcast and light rain.


That late winter, a large flood had washed the bridge out leaving only the concrete piers. Jim had a plank bridge about two feet wide between piers with only a piece of telephone wire as a hand rail.

I was concerned about him trying to cross in the dark. I got a flashlight out of my car and tried to give it to him. We walked with him to the bridge. He would not take the flashlight. Said he didn’t need it. Said he had walked it many times in the dark. We told him good night. This was to be the last time I would ever see him.


Fishermen would find him the next morning at dawn. He was laying face down in a few inches of water with major trauma to his head where he had fallen on the rocks below I felt bad that I had failed and saddened by the loss of my favorite uncle and old friend.


Jim’s final resting place was the little Pioneer Cemetery at Red Rock.

Paul R Thompson
July 22,2018
Duncan, AZ

Photos and Documents of Jim Thompson

Photo of James at the home place in Indian Gardens - Courtesy of Janet Thompson Cluff

Image of James Thompson WWI dogtag courtesy of Marianne Ozmun Wells.  It was given to her by her mother,
Garnet Thompson Naslund

Death Certificate

Application for military headstone, showing dates of service

Headstone 

Postcard - May 26, 1918

May 26, 1918 - I am in New Mexico.   Jimmie

Letter 1 - Jun 2, 1918

Letter to Mrs. J. J. Thompson
Sedona, AZ    

Postmarked June 3, 1918

June 2, 1918
Training Camp
Company 2
Camp Cody, NM

Dear Mother

I have been here a week.  There is about eight thousand men in the camp.  Now it is awful hot and windy here in the day time and cold at nights.  They march us to the moving picture show on Friday night and Sunday School on Sunday.  We left Flagstaff the morning of the 26 and was here on the morning of the 27.  We was about 24 hours coming down here.  We can get candy and ice cream and stuff like here to eat.  It will be about three weeks before we can go down town. 

We drill here about six hours a day.  Out of the bunch of men from Coconino county there was thirteen men turn down here.  Wright Clark was one of them.  When we go to eat here we have to take our dishes in our hands and line up in the street in two rows and march in to the boarding house one line on each side of the house and when you get done eating you come out the other end of the house and line up in rows and wait for your turn to wash your dishes. 

Well I wood like it here pretty well if it was not for the sand and wind.  The wind blows sand here some days till you can’t hardly see.  Well I am getting along fine and I hope this will find you all the same. 

Well as I don’t know any thing more to write I will close.

From your loving son,

James Thompson

Postcard - Jun 10, 1918

Post Card to Mrs. J. J. Thompson
Sedona, Ariz
Postmarked June 10, 1918


Pri James A. Thompson
2^nd Training company

Camp Cody, New Mex

Casual camp

Dear mother I got the letter that you wrote with Charley’s letter.  I have wrote 2 letters since
I have been here and haven’t got any answers yet.  I sent you a picture.  Did you get it?

Letter 2 - June 14, 1918

Letter #2 to Mrs. J. J. Thompson 

Sedona, Ariz 

Postmarked June 15, 1918

Camp Cody New Mexico 

June 14, 1918 

Training Co #2 Casual camp

Dear Mother, 

I would like to be there to eat some of the fish that you are telling me about for we haven’t been getting any too much to eat here. Some days we get plenty to eat and some days we don’t. 

Well we haven’t had any chance to have any pictures taken yet. If I get any taken I will send you one. We have been doing some drilling with the guns the last day or two. We have been drilling pretty hard since we have been here and we are going to get a rest now. We won’t have anything to do for two are three days but lay around camp. We have been in quarantine ever since we have been here, so I haven’t had any chance to go to town or any where yet. Our quarantine will soon be over and we can run around and pass away the time faster. 

We are going to the show tonight but there is not much there to see but wind and sand. It is sure getting hot here now. I would like to have some of them new potatoes to eat and a nice drink of cold spring water to drink. We have good water to drink here but it gets warm through the day. I don’t think I will ever like soldier life very well. It is so hot here that we sweat so that we have to take a bath every day and wash our under wear ever two or three days. Well so there is nothing to write I will close. It is the same old thing every day so there is nothing now to write this leaves me well and I hope it will find you all the same.

Your loving son.

James Thompson

(YouTube video showing images of the sand storms common to Deming, New Mexico and Camp Cody during the time the Thompson brothers served there)

Letter 3 - Jun 23, 1918

Letter to Mrs. J. J. Thompson
Sedona, Ariz
Postmarked June 24, 1918


June 23, 1928

Dear Mother

I am moved from where I was at.  I am at regular company now.  Charley is in one company now and I am in another but we are pretty close together yet.   This is a better place than where we was.  We are about a half mile from town now.  We have been getting some good rains now.

I have not had any letters from home about two weeks.  I don’t know what is the matter with the mail.  I wrote Frank a letter but I have not heard from him yet.  Myron Loy, Charley and I was in the same tent but now we are scattered all over Camp Cody.

Well how is everything on Oak Creek now?  Have they got the bridge in yet?  It won’t be long now till you will have ripe peaches there.  How is the crops growing there?  How is the corn growing that we planted over across the creek?

There is another bunch of soldiers coming here Tuesday 25^th.  That is why we had to move.  They are going in the Casual Camp. 

Well as I don’t know anything to write I will close hoping to hear from you soon. 

Your loving son,
Jimmy Thompson

This is my address now:
133 Infantry, Company H
Camp Cody, New Mexico

Letter 4 - July 8, 1918

Letter #4 to Mrs. J. J. Thompson
Sedona, Ariz
Postmarked July 8 1918

Co. H 133 Inf
Camp Cody, New Mex
July 8 1918

Dear Mother,

I was over to Charley’s tent last night and got the letter that you wrote. He got the letter the evening of the fourth, but I did not know it till last night. Well I sure would of liked to of been with you the fourth to help you eat the pies, cakes and ice cream that you wrote about. I did not have nothing but potatoes, beans and stuff like that to eat.

There was a man took the measles in our company, so we can’t leave the company street without slipping off. Well I got a pay day the 2nd of July when I first come here. I had my life insured for $10,000. I had this made out to you so if I get killed you will get $10,000. That cost me $6.25 a month and I had them to send you $15 of my pay a month so I drawed $14.30. Have you heard anything of the $15 that you was to get yet? When you get the first pay write and let me know.

You said it had been awful hot and dry there. We have had two or three good rains here. But it sure is hot here. It is 115 in the shade here. Some of the boys that come here when we did left the other day. They said they was going to Oklahoma, but I don’t know where they went.
They say that we will leave here about the first of August and go in some other camp, but I don’t know. You can hear anything in the army.

Well I done my washing yesterday. If I stay in the army very long I will learn to wash. It is so hot we sweat so here we have to change clothes about twice a week. We get up here every morning about 5 o’clock, have reveille and then clean up the street and then have breakfast. We go to drill at 7 o’clock and come in at eleven and then rest till two o’clock and then we drill till 5 o’clock .

Well as I don’t know anything more to write I will close for this time. This leaves me well and hope it finds you all the same.

Write soon.
Your son, James Thompson

Letter 5 - July 19, 1918

Letter #5 to Mr. J J Thompson
Sedona, Ariz
Postmarked July 20, 1918

133 Inf Co H
Camp Cody, New M
July 19 1918

Dear Mother, I will try and write you a line or two. I took the measles the 15th and am at the hospital now. I was pretty sick for a day or two but am getting along alright now. 

I haven’t had nothing to eat since I have been here but milk and then soup, but that gave me some dinner today. There was seven men here with the measles when I came and three of them left today. 

We had a rain here last night. Well as I don’t feel very much like writing I will close for this time, hoping to hear from you soon. I don’t know whether Charley knows where I am or not. I hadn’t seen him for two or three days before I came to the hospital. 

Hoping to hear from you soon. 

Your son, Jim Thompson

Letter 6 - July 26, 1918

Letter # 6  to Mr. J. J. Thompson
Postmarked July 27, 1918

133 Inf. Co H.
Camp Cody, NM
July 26,  1918

Dear Mother,

I got your letter yesterday.  I am still in the hospital, but am feeling fine now.  You wanted to know how much Derrick owed me.  He don’t owe me anything.  He might owe Charley.  I don’t know when I see Charley I will find out and let you know.  You wanted to know what kind of bread we had.  We have flour bread the most of the time.  We have corn meal once in a while, but I am getting tired of light bread.  I would sure like to have some hot bread again.

I have got a tub and board to wash my clothes for there aren’t any creeks in this country.  They use well water here and it is getting scarce here now.  When we first come they wanted us to take a bath every day and now the water is so scarce that we only get a bath about once a week.  I would like to be there to help you eat the rosnens (sic) and green beans.   We had a rain here this evening, but it did not last very long.   It rains here pretty often but they don’t last very long.

The government has never sent that money yet.  I seen the captain the other day and he said they was pretty slow sending it the first month.  Maybe you will get June and July payment the same time.  I will see about it as soon as I get out of the hospital.  I have been here 12 days and have got 9 more days to make three weeks.  They have got me sweeping floors and washing windows to give me exercise till my time is up, then I will go back to the company.

You asked about a girl if I had found one yet.  There is some pretty good looking nurses here.  It’s about all the girls I have seen down here in Deming.  There is about 25 soldiers for every girl. 

There was another boy come in with the measles today.  I will let you know later about sending some tomatoes and peaches when I find out whether I leave this camp or not. 

Well about I will close for this time.  Tell Guy to get his hoe and get them weeds out of the garden. 

Good-bye

James Thompson

Images from Camp Cody - including "wash day" that Jim speaks of in this letter.

Letter 7 - Aug 5, 1918

Letter # 7 Addressed to Mr. J. J. Thompson
Sedona Ariz
Postmarked Aug 5, 1918

Aug 5, 1918
Inf 133 Co. H
Camp Cody, NM

Dear Mother,
I got out of the hospital the 2 of Aug.  I got two letters from you while I was there and I wrote three to you while I was there.  There was 70 more soldiers moved into the Co. from the Casual Camp the 2 of the month so there is over 2 hundred here in this Company now.  We are out of quarantine now so we can go to town. 

I will send you some pictures now.  I have had them about three weeks but I was at the hospital and the pictures in the company.  I sent Frank and Lizzie one and was going to send you one when I wrote to you again but I went to the hospital before I wrote to you.

The first day I drilled after I got out of the hospital I got awful tired for it was awful hot and I was weak but I am getting along pretty good again.  Now they are drilling us awful hard here now. 

There was a train run into an auto in Deming the other night and killed the driver and three soldiers and lightning struck one while I was in the hospital.  I am going out to the rifle range the 6^th and see what kind of a shot I am.  See if I can shoot straight enough to kill Germans. 

I sure would like to be home now and get some good meals to eat.  Everything they cook here tastes alike.  They mix it all up in your plate till I am getting awful sick eating sick junk. 

Well as I don’t know any more to write I close for this time hoping to hear from you soon.

Your son,
James Thompson

Letter 8 - Aug 9, 1918

Letter #8 Addressed to Mrs. J. J. Thompson
Postmarked Aug 12, 1918

Aug 9, 1918
133 Inf. Co. H
Camp Cody, NM

Dear Mother,

I got two letters yesterday, one you wrote July 24 and one you wrote Aug 1th.  They are giving us plenty to do now.  We are going out to the rifle range tonight to practice shooting.  Tomorrow from the way things look now, we are going to leave here in a very short while.  We turned in all of our blankets but one.  We have only got one blanket and a shelter half to sleep in now.  I don’t know whether we will leave or not.  You don’t know one day what you are going to do the next in the army.  

If we leave I think it will be about the 15^th.  We had to load everything on the train the other day.  They said that it was to get in practice in loading the train.  We loaded wagons, horses and everything and then we had to get in the train with our packs on and then we had to unload again.  

Viola’s niece Nellie was here and saw me.  As she saw me I did not know her for I have not saw any women here yet that I knowed.  You said that you had not got any money yet.  I guess none of the people that send money home have got it yet. They say that it takes a long time to get it straightened out for there is so many to fix up.

I got last month’s pay the 2th of Aug. I got $8.50. When you get that money you will get it all at once. I wrote you a letter after I got out of the hospital. I sent you two pictures in it. I am sending you a picture that I bought here. 

Well as it is getting close to working time I will have to close for this time.

Your son,
James Thompson

Letter 9 - Aug 17, 1918

Letter # 9 to Mr. J. J. Thompson, Sedona Ariz
Postmarked Aug 1918

Aug 17 1918
133 Inf Co H
Camp Cody, NM

I got a letter from you the other day and sure was glad to hear from you.  I started to answer it yesterday but did not have time.  I had to go on guard last night at 6 o’clock and did not get off till tonight.  Till six tonight.  When you guard you are on two hours and off four hours for one day and night. 

We are going out to the rifle range in the morning and finish up shooting.  I have been out there three times and shot 160 times and have got fifty more to shoot tomorrow.  We have turned in the most of our clothing and are drawing woolen clothing.  They all think that we will leave here about the 20.  They say that we are going to New Jersey but you can’t tell anything about it. 

I got a letter from Lizzie, Frank and Albert.  You can tell them that I won’t answer them now.  I will wait and see if I move from here in the next day or two. 

Well as I am tired and sleepy I will close for this time and go to bed for I have to get up early in the morning.  Well goodbye till I hear from you again.

James Thompson

Letter 10 - Aug 20, 1918

Letter # 10 to Fred Thompson
Flagstaff, Arizona
Postmarked Aug 20

August 20 1918
133 Inf Co H
Camp Dix New Jersey

Dear Brother,

I got your letter the day I left Camp Cody, just before I left.  I wrote you two letters while I was there and did not get any answer.  I left Camp Cody the 23^rd at 3 o’clock and got here at 3 o’clock in the morning.  I seen lots of country on my trip.  I came through 8 states.  I was in Kansas City but I did not get to see much of the city for we only stopped about a half hour and took a march.  We had to get off the train every day and take a march in some town. 

I like this camp better than Camp Cody.  There is not so much sand.  We are only about 40 miles from New York.  You asked me how I liked soldier life.  It is damn good exercise when you get a sixty pound pack on your back beside your rifle.  They are drilling us pretty had now.  There is none of the Flagstaff boys in my company now but Hackthorn.  He asks me about you every once in a while.

When do you think they will make a soldier out of you?   It may be a good life, but I would rather be a farmer. We have got houses here to live in.  It is better than the tents that we was living in.  I don’t know how long we will stay here.  There is lots of Negro soldiers here.  They was about all there was here before we came but about all of Camp Cody is here now.

 Charley just got here this evening.  Well as I am getting sleepy I will close for this time.  Tell all of the folks hello for me.  I will be back when I kill all of the Germans. 

Goodbye.  Your brother,

James Thompson

Letter 11 - August 22, 1918

Letter # 11 to Mr. J J Thompson
Sedona, Arizona
Postmarked Aug 23

August 22, 1918
133 Inf Co H
Camp Cody, NM


Dear Mother

I got the letter last night that you wrote me with Charley’s letter.  He was over and gave it to me.  I will write you a line or two as I am going away in the morning if nothing happens.  They have got most of the stuff loaded on the train now.  I don’t know where I am going but I will soon be on my way.  We had the best rain here last night that we have had since I have been in Camp Cody.  It rained purt near all night.

 I sure would like to be going home instead of going to some other camp.  135 and 136 Inf has already gone.

Well I have not had much to do today.  They haven’t drilled since yesterday noon.  Well as I do not know any more to write I will close for this.  Don’t write any more till you hear from me.  I will write as soon as I get settled again. 

Your son,
James Thompson

Letter 12 - Aug 28, 1918

Letter # 12 to Mr. J J Thompson

Sedona, Arizona
Postmarked Aug 29

Aug 28, 1918
133 Inf Co H

(letter damaged, in fragments)

Dear Mother
I will drop you a line to let you know where I am.  I left Camp Cody 23^rd at three oclock and landed here at three this morning.  I had a long ride and saw lots of country.  I am several miles from home.  We  was five days and nights on the train and they would not let us get off only when they would stop and give us a little march in some city every day.  We took a march in Kansas City and we stopped in Saint Louis, MO about three hours and all took a bath.

Charley was still in Camp Cody when I left.  I guess he will come here when he leaves.  There was one more train load in (unclear) Inf and then 134 Inf was going to start.  We are only about 40 miles from New York here.  Well as I have not got much time to write I will close and right you more when I get settled and get more time.  I got a letter from Fred the day I left Cody, just before I left.  You can tell him I will answer when I get time.  This leaves me well and I hope that it finds you all well.  Goodbye till I see you again.

Your son,
James Thompson