MILTON — Red James, a Marine combat pilot during World War II and the Korean War, never pursued flying once he left the military.
That’s about to change.
This month, the 95-year-old will have the opportunity to fly once again as part of the Veterans Flight during the July 16 Pensacola Beach Air Show.
MILITARY CAREER
James joined the Navy in October 1942 and was sent to basic training in Atlanta.
He was then sent to Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he received his Wings of Gold and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marines in late 1943.
He served 14 years in the Marines, first in World War II, then the Korean War, and finally as a flight instructor at NAS Whiting Field.
Though shot down twice in his career, James said he felt sorry for the men on the ground since he was just dropping bombs.
During the Korean War, James said he chose landing on carriers as opposed to the ground since carriers were “clean, had good food, table cloths, and showers every day.”
He served on the USS Bataan and the USS Badoeng Strait.
AFTER ACTIVE DUTY
Red’s last duty station was NAS Whiting Field in Milton, where he taught young Navy and Marine pilots to fly the Corsair.
He and his wife, Dorothy, enjoyed the area, so when his service ended in 1954 they stayed in Milton and he became a homebuilder.
Active in the local community, he served as president of the Lions Club and Navy League, was a Knights of Columbus Grand Knight, and was twice named Santa Rosa County’s Man of the Year.
James fondly recalls flying the Corsair.
“That was a break for the Marines to get that aircraft,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: World War II pilot to fly in Veterans Flight during Pensacola Beach Air Show