West Plains, MO.— Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative, a provider of electricity in the area, has recently donated a painting to West Plains High School, which depicts a local WWI war hero.
The title of the painting is “Accidental Aviator”, inspired by Lieutenant Stephen Thompson, a 1913 West Plains High School graduate who served in the military during World War I.
Advertisement
The name of the piece is derived from the fact that Lieutenant Thompson simply took the place of an ill gunner aboard a plane during a French air skirmish. Lieutenant Thompson was, during this experience, recognized as the first United States military man to have shot down an enemy aircraft.
For more information on this story, click hear to read the Rural Missouri article.
Advertisement
