Henry James, Jr.
Henry Lester James, Jr.
Lt. Col. Henry L. James, Jr. (USAF, ret.) was born July 1925 in Savannah Georgia to Mamie McGowan James and Henry Lester James, Sr. He participated in ROTC and graduated from Savannah Commercial High School. Henry joined the Army Air Force in 1944 and entered pilot training. He was honorably discharged in 1946. In 1951 he returned to active duty. As an Air Force pilot, he was certified in a number of aircraft including the KC-97 as an instructor pilot and the B-52 as a command pilot in the Strategic Air Command; in total he logged over 3,800 flight hours. He served in Vietnam in 1966-67. He was stationed at Da Nang Air Base where he was in the “Cricket” unit of the 7th Air Force Airborne Battlefield Command & Control Center (ABCCC). His military awards include the World War II Victory Medal and Army Commendation Medal, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon, Air Force Commendation medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and VietNam Service Medal. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1968 out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Henry married Carolyn Boone James in 1947. They raised three daughters. They settled in Marietta in 1966 and joined Marietta First Baptist Church. They served in many volunteer roles in the church, were active in the Cobb EMC Task Force, and also managed a polling site in Marietta for several years. They were married for 57 years, until Carolyn’s passing in 2005. Hank enjoyed fishing, hunting, woodworking, cooking, and helping Carolyn with her many crafts. Hank passed away in August 2014 at the age of 89 from Parkinson’s Disease and related health issues.