Robert G. Thompson

Robert George Thompson (June 21, 1915 – October 16, 1965) was an American Communist who fought in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during the New Guinea campaign, but was later imprisoned for several years due to his communist sympathies.

Early life Thompson was born in Grants Pass, Oregon on June 21, 1915. In his youth he worked as a machinist and lumberjack. He joined the Communist Party in the early 1930s, rising to become secretary of the Young Communist League in Ohio. By 1935, he was a resident of Oakland, California.

Career Spanish Civil War

Thompson's first foray into war came in February 1937, when he volunteered in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade to fight for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War against General Francisco Franco and the Nationalists. Thompson first served in the predominantly-American Lincoln Battalion and was wounded in action at the Battle of Jarama. He then attended officer training school and took over as commander of the predominantly-Canadian Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion, He returned to the United States in August 1938. He was sent to the Pacific Theater and saw action in the New Guinea Campaign. During the Battle of Buna–Gona, he was cited for extraordinary heroism and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The citation read:

For extraordinary heroism in action near Tarakena, New Guinea, on January 11, 1943. Volunteering to lead a small patrol in an attempt to establish a foothold on the opposite shore, Staff Sergeant Thompson swam the swollen and rapid Konembi River in broad daylight and under heavy enemy fire. Armed only with a pistol and hand grenades, he assisted in towing a rope to the other shore where he remained under cover of the bank and directed the crossing of his platoon. Staff Sergeant Thompson then led the platoon against two enemy machine-gun emplacements which dominated the crossing, and wiped them out. The success of this action permitted the advance of the entire company and secured a bridge-head for the advance of the following units.

Communist Party Thompson and Benjamin J. Davis Jr. leaving the Federal Courthouse in New York City during the Smith Act trials, 1949 After the war's end, Thompson was involved with the leadership of the Communist Party USA, and on August 19, 1945 was elected state chairman of the Communist Party of New York. He was the party's candidate for New York State Comptroller in the 1946 elections, earning roughly 2% of the vote.

In 1949, Thompson was convicted in the Foley Square trial, alongside the rest of the party leadership, for violating the Smith Act. He was sentenced to imprisonment for three years. After the Supreme Court affirmed his conviction, he absconded, and for this he was convicted of criminal contempt and ordered to serve an additional four-year sentence. after federal judge Edmund Louis Palmieri decided that Thompson's remaining sentence may have been invalid, and that he was not a flight risk due to his injuries. Following his release, Thompson continued with the Communist Party, including organizing protests against the Vietnam War.

Death

Thompson suffered a fatal heart attack in New York City on October 16, 1965.

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