The youngest of 12 children, James Fair grew up during the depression when his father worked for $1 a day on WPA projects. At aged 16 James attended a short welding school in Topeka KS; With two other 16 year old friends, he hitchhiked to California where they all got jobs, waiting till they turned 17 so they could enlist. While his two friends enlisted in the Marine Corps, James went into the Navy where Boot camp was at Camp Farrago, ID. Subsequent to this he was part of the Armed Guard in a convoy to the North Atlantic. Returning to New York he was given 96 hours to report to San Francisco for duty in the South Pacific, At the train stop in St Louis, MO. James met his high school sweetheart, got married, and honeymooned on the train to Denver CO. where she got off and returned to KS. They did not see each other until the war was over. Assigned to a troop transport ship he participated in the battle at Okinawa. Many people do not know more Navy personnel died in this battle than Marines. after this battle they sailed west and near Calcutta they were rammed by another ship and had to stay in Calcutta for repairs. Leaving Calcutta, they sailed around the tip of Africa and outraced a Japanese submarine until they were within range of air cover. They ultimately returned to the East coast where James was discharged. In Civilian life he started a large Mechanical contracting company in Manhattan, KS - Central Mechanical that ironically has performed a major amount of the mechanical work at the Eisenhower Center.