ST. IGNACE, MI — Jack R. Thompson, 93, of Alpena, has always been a part of the Mackinac Bridge since 1956 when he worked on a construction crew that built it. Now he has a part of the bridge with him as well.

Thompson, who received a piece of the Mighty Mac’s original deck grating from Bill O'Neil, Maintenance Director of the Besser Senior Living Community where he now lives, cherishes the gift.

"I can't explain what a wonderful feeling it is to have a piece of the actual bridge," Thompson said. "It brings back great memories."

For his part, O'Neil took Thompson on a trip through those memories from 1956, when he worked as part of a crew that strung the 42,000 miles and 11,840 tons of cables that suspend the bridge.

"I travel between the Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan every week, and I often think about the men and women who built the Mackinac Bridge," O'Neil said. "I feel honored to be able to bring a piece of the bridge decking back for Jack as a reminder of his work and of the great friends he met on the bridge."

After working on the bridge, Thompson took a job in his hometown of Alpena and has not traveled much over the years; he last crossed the bridge in 1960. Still, he is proud to be a part of that history, connecting the state's two peninsulas, and a bridge that recently saw its 200 millionth crossing.

"It is really cool. I was just one man, and there were so many who worked to build the bridge," he said. "It was a great experience, and I met a lot of great people."