Like father, like son

Lake Forest Park Councilman Dwight Thompson had little time to rest upon arriving home from his tour of duty in Afghanistan on June 10. He was to commission his 23-year-old son into the Army as a lieutenant that same day at Seattle University.

“I told him this had to be his decision,” Thompson said. “The Army is a commitment you have to make on your own.”

A colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve assigned as deputy commander of a medical task force, Thompson returned to complete his tour of duty on June 21. He expects his next homecoming to be once his tour is complete next January.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Thompson, 23, said. “My dad told me to be strong and confident and to always put the interest of your soldiers before your own.”

Leaving Seattle University with a bachelor’s in sociology as well as a school swimming record in the 1650 meter freestyle, Thompson is stationed out of Fort Lewis until he begins training at Fort Hood, Texas, in March 2008.

Colonel Thompson said he would prefer that his son, who was commissioned in the transportation core, be deployed to Afghanistan once his training is complete but feels that he will probably go to Iraq.

While Thompson was home in Lake Forest Park, he attended to some business matters and visited Victoria, BC, to celebrate his 30-year wedding anniversary with his wife, Irene Arden.

“I’m not looking forward to getting back on a plane,” Thompson said before he left. “I will have to stay longer this time and I will miss Christmas.”

He said coming home is wonderful yet surreal.

“One week I’m watching casualties come in and the next I’m looking out at Lake Washington,” Thompson said. “Sometimes it’s hard to decide what world is real but we do hope to spread freedom, that is for certain, I’m sure.”