James B. Thayer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James B. Thayer
Brigadier General James B. Thayer, 2012
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/branch	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)) John Thayer Tommy Thayer Mike Thayer
Other work	Businessman and government official

James Burdette Thayer (born March 10, 1922 – died September 16, 2018) was an American soldier and leader. He was a brigadier general who served in the United States Army during World War II. On May 4, 1945, Thayer and his team found and freed 15,000 people from a concentration camp in Austria.

After the war, he continued to serve in the United States Army Reserve. In his everyday life, Thayer started a very successful business. He also held important government jobs in Oregon. The Oregon Military Museum is named in his honor.

Early Life and Education

James Thayer was born in Portland, Oregon, on March 10, 1922. His family had a history of military service. When he was four, his parents divorced, and he moved to his grandparents' farm in Carlton, Oregon.

He went to Carlton High School. There, he was the editor of the school newspaper. He even became president of a statewide high school press conference. After graduating in 1940, he earned a scholarship to the University of Oregon for journalism.

At the University of Oregon, Thayer worked as the advertising manager for the school newspaper. However, his life changed when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. This event led the United States into World War II.

World War II Service

In 1942, Thayer left college and joined the Army. He started as a private soldier but was soon chosen for Officer Candidate School. He became a second lieutenant on October 3, 1944. He was then sent to a front-line unit in the 71st Infantry Division in France.

As a leader, Thayer guided his unit across France and into Germany. He taught soldiers how to clear dangerous minefields. Later, he led a scouting team. In 1945, his team fought German soldiers in a small Austrian town. For his bravery in this battle, Thayer received a Silver Star.

Liberating Gunskirchen Camp

On May 4, 1945, Thayer's team was searching for German supplies near Wels, Austria. They found many sick and starving people along a forest road. At the end of the road, Thayer and his men made a shocking discovery. They found and freed the Gunskirchen Lager concentration camp.

This camp was part of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex. Thayer and his soldiers saved about 15,000 Hungarian Jews and other prisoners from starvation.

During the war, Thayer also earned a Bronze Star for his heroic actions. After the war ended, he continued to serve in the Army Reserve. He retired from the Army Reserve as a colonel in 1982.

Business and Community Leadership

After the war, Thayer returned to the University of Oregon. He graduated in 1947 with a degree in economics. In 1954, he married Patricia Cunningham, a teacher. They lived on a farm in Beaverton, Oregon, and raised five children.

A year later, he started his own company, the J. Thayer Company. This business sold office supplies. Over time, it grew to become the largest independent office-supply company in the western United States.

Thayer was also a strong community leader. He served as president of the Oregon Historical Society and the Port of Portland. He was also president of the Beaverton Chamber of Commerce. He helped lead many other important organizations, including hospitals and colleges.

In 1988, Thayer stepped in to help Tuality Community Hospital during a difficult time. He served as interim president for five months. He helped solve problems and improved the hospital's finances. A flag court at the hospital was later named in his honor.

Public Service and Military Return

In 1989, Thayer was chosen to be Oregon's civilian helper to the Secretary of the Army. While in this role, he was honored in the Infantry Hall of Fame in 1991. The next year, he represented the Secretary of Defense at a World War II event in Austria. There, he was personally thanked for freeing the Gunskirchen Lager camp. He received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service when he left the position in 1994.

In 2000, Thayer returned to military service and was promoted to brigadier general. He became the commander of the Oregon State Defense Force. This force is a reserve group for the state's military, working alongside the Oregon Army National Guard and the Oregon Air National Guard.

Lasting Legacy

James B. Thayer and his son, Tommy Thayer

In 1996, Thayer received the Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria. This award recognized him for saving thousands of people at the Gunskirchen Lager camp. His story about the camp's liberation is kept at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C..

In 2005, Thayer received a special award from the University of Oregon for his achievements. Other famous people who received this award include Nobel Prize winner Walter Houser Brattain and Nike co-founders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.

Today, the Oregon Military Museum at Camp Withycombe is officially called the Brigadier General James B. Thayer Oregon Military Museum. Thayer's son, Tommy Thayer, is the lead guitarist for the famous rock band Kiss. In 2014 and 2017, Kiss held concerts in Portland to raise money for a new museum building. These concerts raised over a million dollars.

James B. Thayer passed away on September 16, 2018, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. He was 96 years old.

Awards and Decorations

Thayer received many awards for his military and public service:

Combat Infantryman Badge

	Silver Star Medal
	Bronze Star Medal
	Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service
	Grand Decoration of Honor (Austria)
	Oregon National Guard Distinguished Service Medal
	Oregon National Guard Exceptional Service Medal
	Oregon National Guard Commendation Medal

International awards:

Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria