Lawrence C. Thompson

U.S. Marine Corps
1964-1967
Vietnam | KIA

Corporal Thompson was the first African-American from Staten Island to be killed in the Vietnam War.

Thompson, a native Staten Islander, grew up in the Markham Homes in West Brighton, attended P.S. 18 and Port Richmond High School, and spent his time playing on the field that would eventually bear his name.

Lawrence, the son of Armecy and Leroy C. Thompson, enlisted in the US Marine Corps on August 26, 1964 in New York and served with the honor guard in Vietnam.

Refusing a medical discharge for a foot ailment, Thompson re-enlisted for a second tour of duty. Arriving in Vietnam he was assigned for duty to HQ Company, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) Fleet Marine Force.

On June 10, 1967 at the Regimental Command Post 5 on Hill 55 in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam, a working party was improving the defensive wire facing the hamlet of Xuan Diem in Dien Ban District when a anti personnel mine was tripped and detonated causing the death of Cpl Thompson and LCpl Coin as a result of multiple fragmentation wounds. He was 20 years old.


CPL. Thompson Park, located at Broadway and Henderson Avenues in the neighborhood of West Brighton on Staten Island, is named in his honor.

Sponsored by Steven Gross & James Smith