Dorothy D. Thompson, KF5IX, of San Antonio, Texas, died September 2. She was 95. Born and raised in China where her grandparents were missionaries, Thompson — then Dorothy Davis — came to the US and graduated from nursing school.

After the Japanese invaded China, her family fled to the Philippines. She traveled to Manila, reunited with her parents and began working in a hospital there, but when Manila fell to the Japanese, she and her family found themselves in an internment camp. While there she put together a 60-bed infirmary, using her nursing skills to care for the captured. After nearly 2 years’ imprisonment, she became gravely ill with rheumatic fever and was released with her mother in a prisoner exchange.

Months later, and then a US Army Nurse Corps second lieutenant, she returned as one of the liberators of the POW camp. Reunited with her father and sister, she remained in Manila on a nursing assignment, going on to win the Bronze Star and earn a promotion to first lieutenant (and later to captain). Thompson later detailed her POW experience in The Road Back: A Pacific POW's Liberation Story.

At about this time she met and married Jack Thompson, later N5GTJ (SK). After a nursing career in the US, she retired as director of nursing at Methodist Hospital. She and her husband became avid RVers and extremely active with the Red Cross and the Military Affiliate (now Auxiliary) Radio System (MARS). She and her husband had been ARRL members.

A memorial service is set for October 4, 10 AM, at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1018 E Grayson, San Antonio, with interment to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. — Thanks to John Bigley, N7UR, www.nevadahamradio.com/