World War II Honoree

James Ralph Hair, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Miami, Florida

Honored By

Jeannie VanBreemen & Shonter VanBreemen

Relationship

Granddaughters

SIGNED A CONTRACT WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE OCTOBER AFTER HE GRADUATED HE WAS SENT TO TRAINING. TRAINED IN BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI (PILOT TRAINING). THEY WERE SEPARATED INTO WHAT THEY CALLED FLIGHTS. HIS FLIGHT NUMBER WAS V101. ALTHOUGH HE QUALIFIED, MORE PILOTS WEREN'T NEEDED, HIS MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY WAS PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER 107. STARTED TO SEND HIM TO CRYPTOGRAPHY SCHOOL, BUT THE WAR ENDED AND THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ANYMORE CRYPTOGRAPHERS. GIVEN THREE OPTIONS: STAY IN (RE-UP THEMSELVES), GO INTO THE RESERVES, OR BE DISCHARGED. HE WANTED TO GO INTO THE RESERVES BUT WAS DISCHARGED INSTEAD. ACTIVE DUTY FOR ONE YEAR; NEVER LEFT BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI.