Dan Thompson was born in Minneapolis, MN, October 18, 1946. He enlisted Oct 17, 1966 and graduated basic training at FT Bragg, North Carolina and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer on 23 August, 1967.

After earning his jump wings and attending the Special Forces Q course in Ft. Bragg, he graduated O&I School at Ft. Holibird, MD. Dan was assigned to MACV-SOG, a top-secret, Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force whose covert mission targeted Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Dan served as a Hatchet Force Platoon Leader and One-Zero, Team Leader, of RT Rhode Island and led reconnaissance missions deep into enemy controlled areas. During his second tour, Dan was a Covey Rider, flying in the right seat in a Cessna O-2. His primary mission was the insertion and extraction of reconnaissance teams into Laos in support of highly classified cross-border operations. Taking part in some of the most dangerous and secretive missions of the war, Dan’s missions included reconnaissance, direct action, wiretaps, prisoner snatches, and Bright Light missions.

Major Thompson served with distinction with 2nd Battalion, 11th Special Forces, US Army Reserve.