James Earl Oden

James “Jim” Oden was born in Sterling, Kansas on September 19, 1939 to Amos and Mary Oden. At an early age, his father taught him to hunt, fish and trap as well as how to work hard on the farm. He graduated from Lyons, Kansas High School in 1957 and from the University of Kansas in May 1965 after earning a BS in Petroleum Engineering. He also attainted a USAR 2nd Lt. Commission as a Combat Engineer in the Army Corps of Engineers, and served with Mobil Oil Corporation as a field engineer at Guymon, Ok.

He was called to active duty in October 1965.

MILITARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Engineer Officer Basic – Ft. Belvoir, VA

Atomic Demolitions School – Ft. Belvoir, VA

Airborne School – Ft. Benning, GA

16th Engineer Bn – Ft. Hood, TX

ADM Platoon Leader

Battalion Adjutant

Company Commander – Co. A training for deployment to Vietnam

1st SFG (ABN) Okinawa

5th SFG (ABN) Vietnam – TDY leading Engineer Team clearing and establishing new SF camps along the Laotian border: First, Camp A251 Plei Djereng, Pleiku Province, then Camp A344 Bunnard, Phuoc Long Province. Also upgraded an abandoned French Legionnaire camp at My Phuoc Tay, Camp A411 at the intersection of two major canals on the edge of the Plain of Reeds, Dinh Tuong Province.

Engineer Advisor – TDY Royal Thai Army, Supreme Command Forward. Had three teams working along Laotian, Cambodian and Malaysian borders.

ROTC Instructor – University of Nebraska

As a civilian he worked in Asia from 1970-1982 as travel manager, Air Charter operations and Logistics Operations. After returning to the United States he worked for Northwest Airlines from 1982-1996 before returning to Thailand. He and his family returned to the United States in 2012 for health reasons.

Community services included Life member VFW Post 9951, District 5, Department of Pacific Areas serving as Chaplain, Quartermaster, Vice Commander, Commander – All State 2006-2007. District 5 positions held;

Surgeon, Vice Commander, Commander – All American 2006-2007

Department of Pacific Positions held; Assistant Service Officer, Convention Chairman, Pacific Areas Inspector, Vice Commander and Commander 2010-2011.

He was also a charter member of American Legion Kerlin-Lyerly Post 154 in Pflugerville, TX.

James is survived by his wife Piyajirath “Jeab” Oden and their two sons, Kawin Kenn, ten years old and Techin Paul, six. He is also survived by his sons Jeff Oden of Kansas and John Oden of Bangkok, his daughters Duangiai Oden of Bangkok and Phiengchan Oden of Minneapolis and Patricai Rowley of Maryland. Also survived by a sister, Marjorie Gilliland of Florida.