Lt. Gen. Pat Thompson Retires!

[Joe Meyer]

The following, official dispatch was transmitted this date from Washington, D.C. to the Field Headquarters of the Army of the Shenandoah.

Lt. Gen. Pat Thompson, ACWGC
Commander, 1st Brigade, Second Division, VIII Corps, AotS

General,

As per your request and in accordance with General Order No. 5, Union Army Standing Orders, you are hereby relieved from duty in the Union Army of the Shenandoah and retired with full rank and honors from the American Civil War Game Club this date, December 5th, 2018.

General Derald Riggs, ACWGC
Commander, Union Military Group

116-19-42-13-11! That is the 12-year combat record of Lieutenant General Pat Thompson.

Pat joined the ACWGC in May of 2007 and was assigned to the Union Army of the Shenandoah. Two years later he had become the AotS Chief of Staff and a recipient of the rare Kearny Cross of Valor (KCV) and Sheridan Combat Medal. In January of 2010 he had become the commander of the now-deactivated XIX Corps and had received the Union Army's Exemplary Service Medal (ESM). In August of that same year Pat took over the command of the VIII Corps, which became his home corps for the rest of his career. He relinquished command of the VIII Corps in January, 2013, and thereafter commanded the First Brigade ("Bruin Brigade"), Second ("Corcoran's Legion") Division, VIII ("The Few . . . The Proud") Corps.

In all, besides the ESM and KCV, Lt. Gen. Thompson collected 2 Sheridan Combat Medals, 8 Good Conduct Medals, 2 Meritorious Unit Citations, 23 Campaign Ribbons, 13 FMV Ribbons, 70 Battlefield Ribbons and 7 Tournament Ribbons. Those victories helped to net him a grand total of 2,330 OBD Points. Lieutenant General Pat Thompson must go down in ACWGC history as one of the Union Military Group's most successful and avid players.

Within the last two years Pat's involvement in active gaming subsided as he had moved, retired from work and undertook more personal pursuits including writing. Pat occasionally posted within the Mason Dixon Forum and regarded the club as a special place. Those whose honor it was to be both his subordinates and commanders regarded him as a special officer and gentleman. His presence will be missed.

_________________
General Jos. C. Meyer, ACWGC
Union Army Chief of Staff
Commander, Army of the Shenandoah
Commander, Army of the Tennessee
(2011-2014 UA CoA/GinC)