Biographical Note
LeRoy Feay Thompson was born on June 4, 1894, in Elkhart, Indiana. His parents were Arthur Robert Thompson and Blanche Houston Creighton.
At the age of 23, Thompson enlisted in the United States Army, reporting to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for training camp in late May 1918. Along with vaccinations and movie lectures, Thompson trained as a radio operator for the Signal Corps. This consisted of training in the field and in trenches, and examinations on associated radio operations. In July 1918, he was assigned to Company F, 7th Depot Battalion. In his free time, Thompson visited Kansas City, Missouri, on leave with fellow soldiers. Thompson was moved to Little Silver, New Jersey, in late July or early August. He embarked from New Jersey and arrived in France in early September. In October 1918, Thompson was assigned to Company A, 303rd Field Signal Battalion, 78th Division, as a radio operator. Other duties included hiking, chopping wood, formation practice, and guard duty. He was stationed in Époisses, France, for a large portion of his overseas service with frequent travels to Semur and Pisy. During this time, Thompson's older brother, Glenn Stanley Thompson, was stationed in Bourges, Belgium. They communicated through the telephone while in active service. Thompson was discharged in mid-1919 as a Private.
Following his service, Thompson returned to Chicago, where his parents lived, and married Dorothy Mae Wren, in 1921. Dorothy died in 1983. LeRoy Feay Thompson died October 12, 1996, at the age of 102.