James E. Strickland, 90, a resident of Montgomery, AL, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Visitation will be held on Monday, June 23, 2014 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Leak Memory Chapel, with rosary beginning at 7:00pm. A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at 10:00am at Our Lady Queen of Mercy church. Burial with full military honors will take place at Greenwood Cemetery. Mr. Strickland served in the Army Air Corps and retired as a Tech Sergeant. He was awarded numerous decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry in action, Air Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart for wounds received, Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Service Ribbon, Veteran of Foreign Wars Service Ribbon, European Theater Service Ribbon with 5 bronze stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. TSGT Strickland flew more than 50 combat missions with the 15th Air Force in Italy as an engineer-gunner on a B-24 heavy bomber. One of his proudest achievements was being elected as President of the 450th Bomb Group Association. He had the honor of dedicating a plaque to be put on the Wall of Honor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. He was also a member of the Order of the Purple Heart, DAV, 450th Bomb Group, the American Legion, and Knights of Columbus. Mr. Strickland was an avid University of Alabama football fan and a lifetime supporter of the Boston Red Sox. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Anna G. Strickland; two sons, Edward Michael Strickland (Darlene) of Panama City, FL, Michael Edward Strickland (Tammy) of Millbrook, AL; three grandchildren, Jenny Lou Browning (Josh), James T. Strickland (Meghan), Elana Skinner (William); and three great grandchildren, Sadie Layne Strickland, J.W. Strickland, and Paul Skinner, all of Millbrook. The family would like to thank all of the many caregiver; Alacare, all its fine nurses and staff; the Veteran’s Administration, especially Gina Urquhart; Answered Prayers and it’s caring staff; Respite, especially Tammy Goldsmith, who was with us for 4 years; and Mary Parker and so many others , our sincere thanks. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Order of the Purple Heart or to Catholic Charities in memory of James E. Strickland.
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