Richard J. Tompkins was drafted into the US Army in 1966. He completed basic course, advanced infantry, and airborne training with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Cambell. He attended the Armor School at Fort Knox and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant before joining the Army Aviation School at Fort Wallers. His flight training concluded at Fort Rucker, with a rating in the UH-1 Huey helicopter. Rick arrived in Vietnam on December 31, 1967, and was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade where he flew the UH-1 and the
OH-6 helicopters. After his tour, Rick returned to Ft Rucker where he served as academic instructor for the Army Aviation School in 1969.

He left active duty in 1971 to attend law school at University of Memphis, and served with the 123rd Medical Retachment of the Mississippi National Guard at Tupelo. Rick returned to St. Louis, where he began a law practice.
He continued his career in Army Aviation with the 281st Aviation Company US Army Reserves, serving as Platoon Leader and Operations Officer.

After promotion to Major, he moved to the 102nd Army Command staff as Aviation Standardization Officer and continued to fly. When faced with a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and a nonflying command or staff position, he elected to revert to warrant officer to continue flying with the successor unit of the 281st, the 7/158th Aviation Battalion. He transitioned into the
UA-60 Blackhawk in August of 1990, shortly before the 7/158th was activated in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Rick served as Blackhawk pilot and operations officer in the gulf war. The 7/158th returned from the Persian Gulf in July 1991. In 1994, Rick retired as a master aviator with over 4000 hours of flight time.

Rick received Award of the Air Medal First through Eight Oak Leaf Cluster, during his service in Vietnam. Rick was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism (V Device) on January 6, 1968 during his service in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service with the 173d Airborne Brigade during his service in Vietnam in 1968, and a second Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service with the 7/158th in Desert Storm.

Rick was a graduate of Memphis State University with a BS in Psychology & Philosophy. He earned his JD in law in 1974. Rick opened a successful law practice known as Russell & Tompkins in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Throughout Vietnam, Rick wrote letters back and forth to his bride-to-be Gay Malouf. After coming home from Vietnam, Rick and Gay married in June of 1969. They have a loving marriage and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019. They have three beautiful daughters Nicole, Jeane, and Kristen. Rick’s family is immensely proud of his service to our country as a pilot in the US Army. We honor Richard J. Tompkins for his passion to flight on the Wall of Honor at the Smithsonian National Aviation and Space Museum.