Post Thumbnails above the loop

Looking for recommendations on getting a row of thumbnails (one thumbnail per post) on the main page center column. This would be 'above the loop', and show the first image from each post shown on the page.

The images would have links to the post belonging to the image.

Note that my center pages are not using excerpts, but show the full post, so need a solution that doesn't require using excerpts on the main page.

Thanks for the help.

(This site using WP 3.0, Atahualpa 3.5.3. Site is www.intotheflames.com )

..Rick...