Name of individual: Carl Spaulding Thorne-Thomsen
Branch of service: US Army
Sex: Male
Occupation prior to service: College Student
Highest rank achieved: Private First Class
Foreign war(s) served: Vietnam
Killed in action location: Bình Dương Province, near Dầu Tiếng
Date of death: October 25, 1967
Age at death: 20
Awards: Bronze Star for heroism; Bronze Star for outstanding meritorious service; Purple Heart; Combat Infantryman Badge
Buried where: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, HI
Marital status: Single
Education: Harvard College, class of 1968 (withdrew in junior year); Lake Forest High School, class of 1964
Carl Thorne-Thomsen possessed a rare combination of intelligence, integrity, and empathy. He was an honor student, varsity athlete, cello player, and emerging leader, serving as student council president at both Deerpath Junior High School and Lake Forest High School. A well-respected member of the Lake Forest community, Carl had an unassuming manner that endeared him to all who crossed his path.
Carl went to Harvard on a scholarship where he majored in English and took up rowing. His teammates on the undefeated 1965 lightweight crew described him as someone who brought humor and joy to the boathouse and always did more than his share. With time, however, he became extremely uncomfortable living a privileged existence, exempted from the draft while many young men his age were being sent to Vietnam. In his junior year, he made the principled decision to withdraw from Harvard and volunteer for the draft.
Pfc. Thorne-Thomsen arrived in Vietnam with the Army’s Second Battalion, Twelfth Infantry in August 1967. His buddies in Alpha Company remembered his friendliness, quick-wittedness, and sensitivity. On October 25, Viet Cong ambushed his unit. As a radio operator, Carl put himself at risk to maintain communications and was killed. He posthumously received bronze stars for heroism and outstanding meritorious service.
Fifty years after his death, Carl’s friends and family still recalled his courage, strength of character, and willingness to sacrifice personally to fight injustice. He aspired to fit in as an ordinary soldier, but in their minds, he was extraordinary.
For more on Carl’s life, see Bonnie Docherty, “Carl Thorne-Thomsen: Brief Life of a Man of Principle,” Harvard Magazine, Sept.-Oct. 2017, https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2017/09/carl-thorne-thomsen-vietnam.
— by Jim Kahle and Bonnie Docherty
If you have further information, please contact Commander@americanlegionlakeforest.org.