Lieutenant j.g. James Marshall Wilkerson USN

James Marshall Wilkerson was born in West Virginia on May 1, 1917 to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Wilkerson. By the age of three the family had moved to Quay NM where they would remain for some time. Graduating from Quay HS in 1937, James enrolled at NMAMC the next fall. In June 1941 he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry. While in school James served as President of the Ag Club, VP of Block and Bridle and Ag editor of the Round Up. Following graduation in September 1941 he joined the US Navy and began training to become a naval aviator. Following initial training at Jacksonville NAS, he moved to Miami NAS in February 1942 where he completed his training and received his commission and his wings in May of the same year. In September 1942 he married Miss Nell NcCrary. In January, 1943 he was stationed at Norfolk Field. The only other information we can find is that on June 30, 1943, while stationed in the Hawaiian Islands, he was killed in an aircraft accident. He was initially buried at Halawa Naval Cemetery and in 1949 was reinterred at The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Lt. James Wilkerson was 26 years of age at the time of his death.