Evening star., 1950-03-30
Navy Investigating
Movements Of Chief
Before Fatal Injury

discover the whereabouts of a
Navy chief petty officer for SO
hours before his death in an Ar
lington barracks early last Sun
day.
A board OF investigation
launched the inquiry. after an
autopsy indicated Chief Gunner's s
Mate Wesley c. Thompson, Il,
died of a head injury. rather than
heart attack as first believed.
The autopsy was performed Tues
day at the Bethesda Naval Hos
pital.
The body of the 23-year Navy
veteran, father Of two children,
was found at los am. Sunday
on the floor Of a master alarms
office at Quarters K, part of the
Naval Receiving Station, on Co.
lumbia pike.
According to Navy spokesmen,
the chief a short time earlier had
made a phone call from there to
the officer of the day on duty in
the barracks area. The nature OF
the conversation has not been re-
vealed.
Found by Another Officer.
His body was found slumped
against the door by another petty
officer who was entering the room
to remove some personal gear
from foot locker. officers said.
Chief Thompson had been slat-
ed to go on duty Sunday as junior
officer OF the day. The Navy did
not disclose when his watch would
have started. Sunday watches
customarily begin at 8 am. and
8 pm.
The chief was on leave Friday
and Saturday, his superior said.
Until last week, he had been as
signed as duty officer at Quar-
ters I in West Potomac Park,
which the Navy no longer uses.
His wife. Mrs. Fannie E. Thomp-
son, had last seen him about II
am. Friday. she said yesterday.
The Thompsons' home for two
years has been at 1902 First street,
Temple Hills, Md, and Chief
Thompson was accustomed to
spending most OF his time there
when he was off duty, Mrs.
Thompson said.
The Navy said Chief Thompson
often spent leisure time in Bar
racks in Arlington-the build
ing where his body was found.
Spokesman said he had friends
in the barracks, which is occupied
by bachelor petty officers.
The Navy veteran until recently
had been an active member of
the Fleet Reserve Association
here. but he failed to attend a
monthly meeting last Thursday
and also had missed several other
recent meetings, an association
official said.
Chief Thompson at the time of
his death was one Of six petty
officers assigned to rotate as
Junior officers of the day at the
Arlington barracks area.
He had been in Washington
Saturday before coming to the
barracks. but Investigators early
today had not ascertained just
where. according to 1t. Harry K.
Griffin. Navy public information
Mrs. Thompson first was no.
titled Of her husbands death Sun
day morning in a telegram from
Capt. Karl A. Theme, receiving
station commandant. She had
made fruitless inquiries Saturday
as to her husbands whereabouts,
she said.
The Thompsons were married
more than eight years ago. Chief
Thompson, who was only 18 when
he Joined the Navy, served on the
destroyer Morris in the battles of
the Coral Sea and Midway, and at
the close of the war was on board
the cruiser Augusta when it car
ried President Truman to Europe
for the Potsdam conference.
Funeral Services Today.
A photograph on the wall of the
Thompson living room shows Chief
Thompson seated near President
Truman and former Secretary of
State James r. Byrnes at an Au-
gusta mess table. Both the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Byrnes signed the
photograph.
Chief Thompson held q wartime
rank Of chief warrant officer, his
widow said.
His survivors. besides the widow,
include a daughter, Denise, 4, and
son, Wesley, jr., s; his parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. Alfred w. Thompson
of Kelly, La; three sisters, Mrs.
B. D. Harmon. Mrs. .Lucien o.
Taunton and Mrs. Neal Tullos, all
OF Monroe, La, and five brothers,
Army Capt. Leslie B. Thompson,
stationed in California; Jesse L.
OF Patterson, N. j.; Lester of VIII
mington, Del; H. B. Thompson of
Monroe and A. w. Thompson of
Kelly.
Funeral services were to be held
this afternoon at Fort Myer
Chanel with burial fnl1nminn ix