- Date Of Birth: February 27, 1922
- Date Of Death: May 17, 2018
- State: Texas
Harold Lee James passed away peacefully on May 17, 2018, at the age of 96, surrounded by his family. He was an Aggie, a true Texas cowboy, and a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
Col. James was born February 27, 1922 in Richardson, Texas to Lewis Samuel James and Ethel Beatrice Tomerlin James. Much of his childhood was spent on his grandparents’ farm in Dallas, Texas and later in Wylie, Texas. He was raised in Temple, Texas where his father worked as a jeweler and watch repairman. World War II interrupted his schooling at Texas A&M.
He was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in January of 1942 and was trained as a pilot for the B-24 Bomber and stationed in RAF Hethel, England. He took part in the bombing of Ploesti, Operation Tidal Wave. Unable to return and forced to land in Turkey, he was interred as a POW and later escaped. Returning to Hethel, he was trained as a fighter pilot and flew many more missions.
On his return to the United States, in 1947 he met the love of his life and future wife, Doris Ann Sunday, a dancing instructor. They were married on February 27, 1948. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1948, and the same year they celebrated the birth of their son, Robert. Col. James rejoined the Air Force in 1950, and in 1952, he and Doris Ann welcomed the birth of their daughter, Janet.
In 1953, he observed a nuclear explosion firsthand at the Nevada Test Site. Continuing his Air Force career, the family was stationed in Okinawa; Montgomery, Alabama; and the Pentagon. He earned his MEA from George Washington University in 1962. The family moved to England; Washington, D.C.; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was promoted to Colonel on January 4, 1968.
In 1973, Col. James became the U.S. Defense and Air Attaché to Turkey. He retired from the Air Force in 1975, having received numerous medals for his service, including the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and ten Air Medals.
Col. and Mrs. James returned to Austin, Texas where he became a real estate salesman. He enjoyed working on his Lake Travis property and continued to fly a variety of aircraft. Doris Ann also learned to fly.
They lived in Round Rock, Texas and retired to Temple, Texas where they lived for many years. They led an active retirement life and enjoyed traveling and dancing. Col. James was an active member of the Alumni Organization at Texas A&M, and Doris Ann was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Col. James was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers Robert Earl James and Lewis Samuel James, Jr.; and his sister Billie Faye James.
Doris Ann James died March 3, 2016. She was born January 10, 1926 in Ennis, Texas to Claude Addison Sunday and Ruth Gwendolyn Stitt Sunday, and was the great-granddaughter of James D. King, the first mayor of Rogers, Texas. She was raised in Waco, Texas, where she established a dancing school and attended Baylor University. Doris Ann graduated from George Washington University in 1972 with a major in Middle Eastern History. She dedicated her life to the support of her husband’s Air Force career and upon his retirement, worked in the oil and gas industry.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Ruth Jane Byrom, and her brother Junior Ray Sundy.
They are survived by a son, Col. Robert Lewis James USAF (Ret.) and his wife Kathy, granddaughter Stephanie James, grandson Cameron James and his wife Aisha, and great-granddaughter Arabelle; and a daughter, Janet Ann Smith and her husband Michael, grandson John Maly and his wife Emmily, and great-granddaughter Sophie; and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.
