Navy Federal Credit Union

Joseph Thompson entered active duty in the U.S. Army from the Pennsylvania National Guard. After the war and his discharge he returned to Beaver Falls and enrolled at Geneva College. He was a star Geneva halfback and became a legend surrounding an infamous “Who tackled Joe Thompson?” episode. It seems in a game with arch rival Washington & Jefferson College, Thompson was in the clear and running for an apparent touchdown when a W&J substitute came off the bench and tackled him. The officials didn’t award him the touchdown and Geneva lost 3-0. He later coached at Geneva and at the University of Pittsburgh. He also was elected to serve in the state Senate for two terms.

Awards Received

  • Medal of Honor

    Service:

    United States Army

    Rank:

    Major (Infantry)

    Regiment:

    110th Infantry Regiment

    Division:

    28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces

    Action Date:

    October 1, 1918

    War Department, General Orders No. 21 (October 5, 1925)

    The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Major (Infantry) Joseph Henry Thompson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 October 1918, while serving with 110th Infantry, 28th Division, in action at Apremont, France. Counterattacked by two regiments of the enemy, Major Thompson encouraged his battalion in the front line by constantly braving the hazardous fire of machineguns and artillery. His courage was mainly responsible for the heavy repulse of the enemy. Later in the action, when the advance of his assaulting companies was held up by fire from a hostile machinegun nest and all but one of the six assaulting tanks were disabled, Major Thompson, with great gallantry and coolness, rushed forward on foot three separate times in advance of the assaulting line, under heavy machinegun and antitank-gun fire, and led the one remaining tank to within a few yards of the enemy machinegun nest, which succeeded in reducing it, thereby making it possible for the infantry to advance.