Jim Atwell

Jim Atwell VIRGINIA BEACH - Jim Atwell passed away July 29, his family by his side. He was born in Port Chester, N.Y. on Sept. 10, 1922, the oldest child of Austin and Gladys Atwell. His early years were spent in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Old Greenwich, Conn. As a child, Jim and his father (an immigrant from Barbados) took every opportunity afforded those living in the New York City of the 20s and 30s - avidly attending Yankees games watching Babe Ruth play; visits to Roosevelt Field where he met Wrong Way Corrigan; seeing the Frank Hawks Texaco Travelair return from its record-setting flight to Cuba; participating in the ticker tape parade for Charles Lindbergh on his return from Europe. By the age of 15, Jim had already twice sailed from Greenwich, Conn., to Halifax, Nova Scotia as a Sea Scout. It was during these years he started his long and illustrious working life, as a mate for the lobstermen of the Long Island Sound. As the war years unfolded in Europe, young Jim tried to join the Royal Air Force and actually served one day before his father found out. He was forced to wait until his graduation from Valley Stream High School in 1940 to enlist as a private, U.S. Army. He graduated OCS in 1942, appointed 2nd Lieutenant, and dispatched to ETO - landing in Normandy. He served from Normandy to Munich, participating in the Rhineland Campaign. At the war's end he spent six weeks temporary duty in Paris, where he met General Eisenhower at the Gare du Nord, and went on to serve at the Engineer Depot outside Marseilles coordinating the removal of U.S. heavy equipment from all over Europe. Jim regaled us with tales from these times, including the stories of B-17 runs from Istres, France to Port Lyouty, Morocco with his friends from the U.S.A. Air Corps. Jim left active duty in 1946 as a captain, transferred to active reserve Engineer Combat Batallion, and returned to Valley Stream. In 1947, after placing in the top five percent on the exam, Jim was appointed a Nassau County police officer - eventually serving on the motorcycle squad, where he was proud to tell you, he rode over 150,000 miles in three years on his beloved Indian. He married his dear Helen in St. Mary's Church in Roslyn, N.Y. Recalled to active duty at the height of the tensions in Korea, Jim proudly trained a unit for war duty; however, the battalion was transferred to Europe, stationed in Karlsruhe, Germany. He and Helen spent many fond years abroad; Jim was awarded many honors from the U.S. Army as well as a number of foreign governments. After returning from an extended tour in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, Jim was stationed at Ft. Belvoir in 1958 as a staff and faculty member at the U.S. Army Engineer School, specializing in engineer support of Nike missile systems. He was sent to Saigon in early 1961 as a military advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, where he remained for 16 months as a part of III Corps. In his off-duty hours he lived at the Caravelle hotel, spent time at Cercle Sportif, and worked as a teacher in the Vietnamese American Association. He counted among his friends at the time John Paul Vann and Father Hoa. Two months after his return from Saigon, Jim was sent to the Florida Keys during the Cuban Missile Crisis - where he met President John F. Kennedy. In 1963, he was part of a team of engineers from Ft. Belvoir who developed and installed the first eternal flame at Arlington Cemetery, at the request of Mrs. Kennedy. Jim returned to Vietnam in 1968 as a lieutenant colonel, Commanding Officer of the 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi - later to be CO, Support Command for the 25th, promoted to full colonel on the field. Of all the attachments throughout his Army time, he felt closest to his involvement with Tropic Lightning. First In, Last Out. The final years of Jim's illustrious military career were spent at the Pentagon, where he was Chief, Plans & Programs Office, OPO. Although on the general's list, Jim retired in May 1971 to care for his wife in her final months. In the early 70s, Jim worked for Dittmar Company in Arlington, the Corps of Engineers in Martinsburg, West Virginia and Baltimore; and for three years was the deputy director for the Bureau of Repair & Improvement for the District of Colombia city government. During this time, Jim started a new career that drew on his lifelong love of automobiles. He had been an avid racer and rallyer throughout his years and throughout his world travels. In 1975, Jim ran in the original Cannonball Run making it from New York City to Redondo Beach in just over 36 hours. By 1976 he was selling cars at Heishman BMW, and later moved to Virginia Beach to become general manager of Atlantic BMW. In 1988, Jim and his team won the One Lap of America. Throughout the 80s and early 90s, Jim was a consultant for MAI in Vienna, Va. In 2001, Jim retired after 66 years of continuous employment - although he never gave up his life-long pursuits of fast cars, good friends and beautiful women. Jim's awards and honors are too numerous to mention save those of which he most proud: four Legions of Merit, three Bronze stars, three Air Medals, and certificates of honor from the governments of Vietnam, Latvia and Indonesia. Jim was predeceased by his wife Helen, his son Thomas, and his brothers Austin and David. He is survived by his children Jim (Dayz) of Woodbridge, Va.; Andrea (Sam) of Virginia Beach; Kate Nelson (Roger) of Chesapeake; Jenny Reeves of Norfolk; and his grandson, Austin; as well as his beloved nieces and nephews. As Dad's favorite author, Ernest Hemingway, once said: "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end." And what a fine journey it was for Jim. Farewell, Pop. Visitation will be held Wednesday, Aug. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at HD Oliver Funeral Home, Laskin Road, Virginia Beach. The family will receive friends at 222 56th St. at the Oceanfront afterward. Chapel service and burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Jim's name to the Wounded Warrior Project. Online condolences may be made at www. hdoliver.com.