James B. Thayer
United States Army general / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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James Burdette Thayer (March 10, 1922 – September 16, 2018) was an American brigadier general who served on active duty during World War II. On May 4, 1945, Thayer and his platoon discovered and liberated 15,000 people held at a concentration camp near Wels, Austria. Following the war, he continued his service in the United States Army Reserve. In his civilian life, Thayer founded a successful business supply company in Beaverton, Oregon. He was later appointed Oregon's civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army and then re-activated as commander of the Oregon State Defense Force. The Oregon Military Museum at Camp Withycombe is named in his honor.
James B. Thayer | |
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Birth name | James Burdette Thayer |
Born | (1922-03-10)March 10, 1922 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Died | September 16, 2018(2018-09-16) (aged 96) Lake Oswego, Oregon, U.S. |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1942–1982; 2000 |
Rank | Brigadier general |
Unit | 71st Infantry Division |
Commands held | Oregon State Defense Force |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Silver Star Bronze Star Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service |
Memorials | Oregon Military Museum |
Spouse(s) |
Patricia Cunningham Thayer
(m. 1954; died 2014) |
Children | Jim Thayer Jr. Anne Thayer (died February 15, 2007(2007-02-15) (aged 49))[2] John Thayer Tommy Thayer Mike Thayer[1] |
Other work | Businessman and government official |