Jim Thompson enlisted in the Air Force in 1950. He trained and served as a Control Tower Operator before entering Aviation Cadets in1951. Graduating in 1952 as a 2nd Lieutenant and pilot he was sent to the Korean War flying F-86 Sabrejets out of K-14, Kimpo in 1953-54.

He was next stationed at Eglin AFB, Florida where he served as a test pilot on the F-102 Test Team. He then served as a Flight Commander in two F-102 squadrons, one in Spain and one at Travis AFB, Calif. Subsequently he attended Air Command and Staff College and received an MBA.

He then checked out in F-105s and served a combat tour flying out of Korat AB, Thailand. He went on to Headquarters PACAF at Hickam AFB, HI serving as a staff officer while concurrently flying F-102s with the Hawaiian Air National Guard. He then checked out in F-4s and flew a combat tour at Danang AB, RVN, while commanding the 421st TFS "Black Widows."

He then was stationed at Wright Patterson AB, OH as Deputy System Program Director for the Northrop F-5E, a fighter produced to equip the Vietnamese Air Force and other foreign allied forces. Next tour was at Air Force Systems Command as Deputy DCS, Test and Evaluation.

He finished his Air Force career as Commander of the 6585th Test Group at Holloman AFB, NM. While there he directed and flew missions testing air-to-air missiles as well as managing test facilities for ICBM guidance systems, aircraft ejection systems and stealth aircraft design technologies.

Following Air Force retirement, Jim was employed by RCA and flew in the QF-102 Drone Program. Subsequently he managed a state-of-the-art stealth radar test facility for Dynalectron. He then served as a Flight Test Engineer, first at NASA-Dryden and then with Northrop Grumman on a stealth guided missile program. He fully retired in 1994 and currently resides in Santa Fe, NM where he skis, plays tennis and flies recreationally with friends.