Web posted Thursday, May 15, 2003

Former LW resident among Saudi fatalities

By WILLIAM BYGRAVE
ncpublw@earthlink.net

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LAKE WALES -- Todd M. Bair, 37, the son of a Lake Wales couple, was one of seven Americans killed in a Monday evening terrorist-linked bombing of three residential compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He was the son of Emmy Thompson and Paul Bair Jr., who is a teacher at Lake Wales High School, and was also the stepson of Richard L. Thompson.

According to Thompson, Bair was born in Indiana but grew up in the Lake Wales school system and graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1984. He was also a graduate of Polk Community College and went to Florida Southern, where he graduated with an ROTC commission.

A veteran of the Gulf War, he retired from the Army as a captain about a year ago, and was working with Vinnell Corp. as a civilian employee. Vinnell employees lived in one of the compounds that was attacked. All compounds, -- Vinnell, Al-Hamra and Jadawal -- were within 10 miles of each other and housed western business executives, oil industry professionals and teachers.

Thompson said Bair was two months from the end of his one-year contract as a trainer for Saudi national workers. Bair's specialty was in logistics and transportation, and "he was training them in those areas," Thompson said.

"I sure never thought we would have to go through this," his mother said on Wednesday. "But what (a) comfort it is to know where he is now. He is talking about Army stories with his grandfather in Heaven, and fishing stories."

She recalled, "He was just such a good little boy, a good teenager and a good man. He was a fabulous father and had two beautiful red-haired boys. They were so important and special to him."

She remarked the boys' hair is very much the same color as that on the family's golden retriever, Harry. Before taking his family overseas, Bair had driven the dog from their former Fort Lewis, Washington, home to stay with the Thompsons.

The Thompsons gladly agreed to take care of the Bair's dog, remarking, "He wouldn't have enjoyed the six months' quarantine" required of dogs coming to England.

Todd Bair leaves his wife, Samantha, and the boys, Daniel, 11, and Blake, 8. They live in Worcestershire, England.

"Todd had just had a two-week furlough and he went back to England," Thompson said.

He said the time he spent with the boys was taken up by fly-fishing and golf.

"He got into those things because they are things he could do with the boys," Thompson explained.

"He got out of the Army last May. His wife is English and they decided to move to England to let the boys complete school. They lived very near Samantha's family in the Birmingham area," he added.

Bair's relationship with his boys was such that his mother said he visited a Muslim-owned jewelry store in Riyadh and commissioned to have three gold fish signs made for him and the boys to wear on gold chains.

"He went back to the store and the owner asked what that was about," Mrs. Thompson said. "'It is just something special between me and my boys, Bair (told him).'"

She explained that in Jesus' time when Christians were being persecuted, they would draw the sign of a fish in the sand and Christians would know if they were talking with another Christian.

She said the jeweler was so impressed he made other gold fish to put in his window, but they were soon sold out, although the relatives who remained stateside wanted them, too.

Both Thompson and his wife called Bair "a soldier's soldier."

"He was extremely well thought of by his commanders and soldiers," Mrs. Thompson added. "He loved taking care of the soldiers. He was not sitting at a desk. He hated sitting at a desk. He wanted to be with the soldiers. He was a kind, gentle and loving man. He loved his wife and was a good husband. He had a great sense of humor."

Thompson said Bair was aware of the conditions in that part of the word.

He realized that "things deteriorated significantly" and that he was aware of dangers.

"We e-mailed him three or four times a week and felt fairly certain security measures were sufficient. He had a job to do and a contract to fulfill and he was going to do it," Thompson added.

His wife added that e-mail helped keep the family in touch.

"We'd send scripture back and forth," she said. "He'd write, 'I can't tell you what's going on but if you look at this scripture, then this scripture and that scripture, you'll know what's taking place.'"

From what Thompson has been able to gather, he said Bair was off duty when the attack occurred at 11:30 p.m.

"He began his work day at 6 a.m., and as you can see from the TV pictures, it was more like an apartment building in a walled compound, housing mostly single guys on contract."

For the Thompsons, details of the attack are provided "from what we see on the media. Samantha had contact from the state department and the company, but no details have been forthcoming."

Thompson recalled on the night of the attack, "I was restless and up late watching TV. I saw the news and got on the Internet."

He was unable to immediately get more specific information, although "one of the (media) services said it was the Vinnell compound. I hoped Todd was not involved, or was at work. But Samantha called here at 12:30 yesterday afternoon."

Thompson said funeral arrangements weren't known on Wednesday.