Jim joined the U.S. Army and fought in Germany in WW II. He was awarded the Purple Heart after sustaining bullet wounds to his arm and back. In 1966, Jim joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. After retiring from the State Vocational School System he joined the Navy full-time where he relocated to Newport, Rhode Island and was in charge of teaching and curriculum writing for ship engine maintenance and repair. With the rank of Master Chief, he retired from the Navy in 1985 and soon settled in Columbia County, New York where he lived out the rest of his years as an active member in the Hudson VFW.
