2LT James R. Adams (USMA '67)

With the passage of time, one begins to read the obituaries in ASSEMBLY with nostalgia. Through all of the memorials runs the thread of affection for one another which in some way explains the appeal that West Point has had for past and future graduates. Many of us in the Class of 1967 were proud to call Jimmy Adams our friend. Our most vivid memories of him were as a participant in the Brigade Open Boxing Tournaments. He had a unique style which was not necessar­ily taught by Joe Palone or Herb Creighton. He held his left hand low, fearlessly stuck his chin out and invited his opponent to wade in, only to receive a devastating counter punch. Jim would usually smile as he helped his opponent to his feet after his left hook.

All cadets seem to be pressed for time, but Jim was one of the few people that I ever heard of who managed to get access to a boat and would actually go bass fishing on the Hudson River and catch fish. He had a dry wit, a ready smile and very little tolerance for pretense or posturing. Those of us who were in the Infantry can recall the shared experiences of Infantry Officer Basic, Ranger School and then Airborne School. A large contingent of us were on temporary assignment to the 82d Airborne Division prior to volunteering for Vietnam a year to the day after graduation from West Point. Jim was anxious to assume his responsibilities as an officer, and the determination and aggressiveness he displayed as a boxer made him an outstanding infantry combat leader, leading from the front and by example.

After the Tet offensive in January 1968, many of the Class of 1967 found themselves precipitously deployed to Vietnam with the 3rd Brigade of the 82d Airborne Divi­sion. This deployment occurred literally overnight, and there was no time for friends to say good-bye or month after arriving in Vietnam, Jim was killed leading his men in combat near Hue. The History of the 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne named this action, "Battle of the Candy Stripe." On 20 March 1968, Company A of the 1-505 came under heavy NVA fire from automatic weapons across a canal. The NVA inflicted heavy casualties on Jim Adams' platoon from entrenched positions. Jim spotted one of his wounded in the open, rushed to assist him and was killed in the process. He received the Silver Star and Purple Heart posthu­mously

James R. Adams was born on 6 June 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was an avid outdoorsman and participated in the Boy Scouts. He entered the United States Air Force in August 1960, attaining the rank of Airman 2nd Class. Unknown to most of us at West Point, Jim served one year as a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy with subsequent assignments at Hill Air Force Base, McGuire Air Force Base and, eventually, the USMA Prep School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

With his reservoir of military-experience, Jim stood out among his more callow classmates in basic military skills. He lent an experi­enced hand in explaining; the nuances his less "spoony" classmates, but he never seemed to be bothered by the more mundane features of cadet life. He had a certain irreverence for the parade ground army which endeared him to his fellow snuffys. During the Bobby Knight years at West Point, it was not infrequent that the Army Basketball team participated in the NIT, then a premier event. Fortunately, one such appearance occurred when we all were Plebes and there were no other representatives of the Corps because everyone else was away on Spring Leave. The Class of'67 was present en-masse at Madison Square Garden to cheer the cadets on to victory. The cheers were doubly enthusiastic because, if we won, it meant another free evening in New York City for an appearance the following night in the winner's bracket. Jim seemed not only to be able to lead us to cozy haunts in the environs of the Old Madison Square  Garden, but also was point man on a speed march in a blizzard to the buses through a troop of New York City mounted policemen just in time to make the return buses back to West Point.

Time has obliterated traces of Jim's family and his wife Barbara, whom he married after graduation. West Point graduates have in common devotion to Duty, Honor, and Country. But what, over the years, has endeared one classmate to another is the individuality of each person. Each cadet has brought a thread to the mosaic that has made up the fabric of the Long Gray Line.

Jim's optimism, wit and courage made each one of us with whom he came in contact just a little bit better and a little bit happier. I am sure that his troops would say the same if they had the opportunity. Jimmy, those of us who served with you in those exciting, challenging and dangerous days now say Good-bye, God Speed and Well Done.