James Edmonson was born on January 13, 1925, at Michigan Valley, Kansas, the son of James V. and Nora A. (Jensen) Edmonson. Mr. Edmonson was a Technician for Beech Aircraft, retired from Salina Beech Aircraft in January 1987. He was Past President & Secretary for Beech Flying Club; and was instrument rated pilot. He taught sheet metal classes at Salina Beech Craft after he retired, and then restored WWII aircrafts at the Herington Air Base (restoring a B-17). He graduated from Herington High School with the class of 1942. He was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, as a Seaman First Class; and served in the Asiatic-Pacific, and Philippine Theater of Action. He was assigned number 3663464. He served on the USS Fairfield (AK-178), which was an Alamosa-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during the final months of World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations and was decommissioned shortly after war’s end. He married Evelyn M Schneider, on January 16, 1949, at Herington. They had two sons and four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Courtesy fold3.com, newspapers.com, findagrave.com.