In recognition of his service to our country, Colonel Floyd Thompson was posthumously honored at a recent Borough Council meeting by Mayor Arvin Amatorio, Council Members, and the Bergenfield Veterans Advisory Committee, who spoke of his tremendous sacrifice during the Vietnam War.
“Veterans like Colonel Floyd Thompson helped build Bergenfield as well as this country, and deserve more recognition than we are capable of giving. I want to thank Colonel Thompson for his service and the Veterans Advisory Committee for ensuring we pay the proper respects to our local veterans,” said Mayor Amatorio.
Floyd James Thompson was born in Bergenfield, NJ, on July 8, 1933, the son of a bus driver. He worked in a grocery store and graduated from Bergenfield High School in 1951. He married Alyca DeVries a year after graduating and was drafted in 1956. A slight, freckle-faced young man, he was accepted into officers training and became a lieutenant.
After a stint in Korea, he was assigned to the Special Forces, known for their distinctive green berets. In 1964 he was sent to South Vietnam where a plane he was flying in was shot down during a reconnaissance mission. He suffered a broken back in the crash and was subsequently captured, tortured, and imprisoned in North Vietnam until his release in 1973, having been held captive for nine years. Following his release he returned home and continued serving in the Army until a stroke forced his retirement in 1981. He is survived by his daughters Laura, Ruth, and Pamela, as well as his son Floyd Jr.
Colonel Thompson has long been recognized as one of Bergenfield’s greatest heroes, with the Bergenfield High School field already having been named after him many years ago. The banner presented by the Veterans Advisory Committee at the Council meeting will be hung in front of Borough Hall.
The Bergenfield Veterans Advisory Committee advises the Mayor and Council on matters of importance to Veterans in our Borough. As such, the Committee provides recommendations on programs, policies, and practices designed to assist Veterans, acts as a central clearinghouse for information, programs and services relating to Veterans and celebrates and honors the achievements of Veterans in Bergenfield.
