James W. Harris III

Jim is survived by his son James William “Bill” Harris IV (Polly), daughters Barbra Welch (Mark), Mary Margaret “Coco” Ketron (Mack) and Nancy Shovlin (Mike); 4 grandsons (Christopher Chappell, David Ketron, Jeffrey Ketron, Matthew Shovlin) and 2 granddaughters (Jennifer Harris Abram, Julia Shovlin); and 8 great-grandchildren (Jessica, Justin, Aimee, Sara, Jake, Ella, Lucinda “Lucy”, Phoebe and Mia). Jim was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 66 years, Barbara Waller Harris, his parents and sister Ruthe Harris Edmondson.

Jim attended Whittier College from 1939-1940. In March of 1942 he entered the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet from Chicago, receiving his wings and commission in October of that year. He served in New Guinea from 1942-1944 flying P-38 fighters in the 5th Air Force and is credited with 4 victories. Upon his return to the U.S., he met and married Barbara Waller of Tacoma, Washington on Sept 8, 1944, a marriage that lasted until she passed away April 30, 2010. In November of 1944 he was assigned to the 412th Fighter Group that was the first jet aircraft group in the US Air Force.

Jim spent 30 years in the Air Force retiring to Austin, TX in 1971 after assignments in Japan, Guatemala, Washington DC, Peru and Warner Robins, GA. From 1956-1959 he was stationed in Guatemala where he served as Assistant Mission Chief and Flight advisor to the Guatemalan Air Force. He directed movement of 25 P-51 aircraft from California to Guatemala City, instructed Guatemalan pilots in checkouts and flying techniques. He was awarded the AF Cross of Guatemala for his 3 years with their Air Force. Following his assignment in Guatemala, he served at the Pentagon from 1959-1964 as Chief of Latin American Missions at AF HQS supervising missions throughout the Americas. He was a member of both the joint U.S. Brazil and Mexican Defense Commissions and was a member of the Inter-American Defense Board. At the University of Maryland, Jim completed his college education in 1963 receiving his B.S. degree followed by graduate studies in International Relations. In 1964 he was assigned as the U.S. Air Attaché in Peru where he and his family lived for 4-1/4 years enduring several Coup D’etats. He was awarded the Peruvian AF Cross for his service to the Peruvian AF. In 1969 Jim served as Deputy Chief of Staff Plans and Programs at HDQS AF Reserve at Warner Robins until his retirement in 1971.

Military decorations include Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Defense Commendation Medal and two Presidential Unit Citations. In addition to other unit and combat service ribbons, he was a life member of the Retired Officers Assoc., Air Force Assoc., 49th Fighter Group Assoc., The Order of the Daedalians and the American Legion.

Following his retirement from the military, Jim, his wife Barbara and daughter Nancy moved to Austin where he was employed by the State of Texas for 13 years retiring in 1984 as acting Executive Director of the Texas Economic Development Commission. He traveled to Europe, South America and the Middle East on business and completed various courses in International Trade and Export Promotion.

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Dad wrote the above ‘career history’; he liked to get things right.

On a more personal side, Dad met Mom while stationed at Ft. Lewis in Washington after the war. So the story goes he proposed to her on the third date. He married ‘the former Barbara Waller’ on September 8, 1944 in Pasadena, California. Dad left the Air Force for a short while taking a job selling tires in Orlando, Florida. While there, James W. Harris IV (Bill) was born and he was recalled into the Air Force. From Orlando he, Mom and their young son made several stops before arriving at Ft. Lewis, Washington in anticipation of the birth of their second child, Barbra Lynne and transfer to Occupied Japan. Dad served in Japan as manager of a Hotel for military personnel on RR. The story of the trip across the ocean on their return home with Mom, Billy and Bobbe was one of his best stories though the voyage itself must have been pretty awful.

In 1950 Dad was a flight instructor at Connally AFB in Waco, Texas. It was here daughter Mary Margaret (Coco) was born. The stay in Waco was short followed by assignments at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama and Bainbridge AFB in Bainbridge, Georgia. By 1956 the family was off to Guatemala for three years where Dad served with the USAF Mission training pilots in the Guatamalan Air Force.

Upon our return to the US Dad was stationed at the Pentagon and the family lived as real suburbanites in Waynewood, just outside of Alexandria, Virginia. Dad drove a little VW Beetle to and from the Pentagon daily while he worked away at getting his college degree from the University of Maryland. In 1961 Nancy Ellen was born; Dad would proudly call her “the monument to his youth.” After 5 years in the DC area, Bill went off to college and the rest of the family moved to Peru where Dad served as the Air Attaché with the US Embassy in Lima. We lived in high style as diplomats; it was a wonderful and busy time in the lives of all of us.

After Peru Dad, Mom and Nancy moved to Warner Robins, Georgia for Dad’s last two years of service. From there it was Austin, Texas for the next 35 years where he and Mom lived a wonderful and happy life in a home and neighborhood that they loved. It was here that many lasting relationships with new and old military friends and neighbors were nurtured.

Mom and Dad were reluctant to leave their home in Austin but health reasons made sense for them to move close to daughter Nancy in 2009. It is in Corinth that Mom passed away April 30, 2010 and Dad closed the final chapter of his life, February 12, 2015.

Dad was funny – really funny. He enchanted us all with his wonderful story telling, jokes and incredible sense of humor. He will be missed.

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The family would like to thank and acknowledge the caregivers at Autumn Oaks who have shown love, care, respect and compassion to Dad not just during these past difficult weeks but throughout his seven-year stay. The Oaks, as he liked to call the place, was home. A special thank you to all of the staff at Autumn Oaks, past and present, who contributed to keeping the Colonel happy.