Protected our freedom

On Feb. 14, 1936, the second son of Edith and Ivan Thomas was born at home, Highway 69 North “out toward Spring Mill” in Batesville. Jim, along with his brothers, walked about a mile to catch the school bus driven by Mr. Handford to West Side Public School.

When Jim was in the third grade, he performed in the auditorium at West Side and sang the song “Steamboat Bill, Steaming Down the Mississippi.” From that time on, he was known as “Steamboat.”

Jim dropped out of high school and joined the U.S. Army. He served several years as an enlisted man. He received his GED and qualified for flight training at Fort Rucker, Ala. When the Vietnam War broke out, Jim was assigned to a Huey helicopter squadron in Saigon. He served three tours in Vietnam and crash-landed three times after receiving hostile fire.

In all, he flew over 200 missions, earning multiple air medals and a Purple Heart.

Jim was the pilot of a Huey helicopter hovering in a rescue attempt while taking hostile fire, which appeared on the cover of Life Magazine. Jim also ferried high-ranking military officers, along with entertainers, around Vietnam. Jim transitioned to fixed-wing aircraft and was stationed in Berlin. Here again, he was entrusted to fly officials around Europe.

Jim rose in rank to chief warrant officer. He refused a regular commission because of the difference in retirement benefits.

After 20 years of active duty, Jim retired and moved to Tennessee, where he earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Middle Tennessee. He then taught school and coached in Germantown, Tenn., until his untimely death at 50 years of age.

So as Memorial Day comes and goes, let us give thanks and remember those who served our country, gallantly protecting our freedoms. Let us remember “Steamboat.” I certainly will, because he was my brother. JERRY S. THOMAS

Little Rock