James Walls Killough Sr.

James Walls Killough was born in Kansas City, Missouri on May 9, 1923, the only son of Charles T and Sally Killough. He attended Christopher Attucks grade school graduating January 1937. He entered Lincoln High School of that year and graduated in January 1941. James enlisted in the 9th Calvary U.S. Army at Ft. Riley Kansas in 1941. He was accepted into the Infantry Officer Candidate School in December 1942 and graduated in 1943 as a second lieutenant. After serving in various Army units, he was accepted at the Army Parachute School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Upon graduating in March 1945, he was assigned to the 555 Parachute Infantry Battalion, Pendleton, Oregon. This was the first all-black paratrooper unit. He remained a member of that organization until the end of his active military service. He was honorably discharged in January 1947 at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

In 1944, James met and married Goldie Delacy Poteat. To this union, 2 sons were born -James W. Killough, Jr. and Alvin L. Killough. James later married Alice Humes December 13th, 1962. After leaving the military service, he enrolled at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, college of pharmacy. James spent two and a half years at the University of Kansas. James moved to Washington D.C. where he met and married Alice Humes who he had been married to for more than 50 years before her death in 2016 .He was employed in February 1950 by the U.S. Post Office as a letter carrier where he remained for 11 years. He later was employed by the U.S. Army Surgeon General Office, Department of Defense remaining there until his retirement on June 10, 1980, completing a total of 32 years of government service.

James Killough is survived by two sons -James W. Killough, Jr. (Martha) of Cedar Grove, NC and Dr. Alvin Killough (Eryn) of Crookston, Minnesota. 3 grandsons; James W. Killough, Ill, Jeremy Killough, Alvin Killough,II, 1 granddaughter, Melissa Killough, 9 great grandchildren; 1 sister-in-law, Corrine Worthy of Washington, D.C. and Beverly Contee of Laurel, MD who he loved like a daughter. He also leaves a host of several other relatives and friends.