James Arlen Clements (1932 - 1997)

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Clements was A Prisoner of War for 1984 days during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Clements served in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War
Service started: May 1954
Unit(s): 445th Fighter Interceptor Squadron; 4756th Combat Crew Training Squadron
Service ended: April 1975

Birth

James Arlen Clements, known as Jim, was born on 10 August 1932 in Queen City, Cass, Texas, United States to James Orel Clements (1912-1992) and Verna Lee Dupree (1910-2005).^[1]

Education

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from East Texas State University in 1954.

After returning from Vietnam, he attended Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama from March 1973 to March 1974.

Military Service

He enlisted in the United States Air Force on 23 May 1954 through the East Texas State University Air Force ROTC program. Active duty began on 21 July 1954.

He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and received his pilot wings at Laredo Air Force Base in Texas in August 1955. Then he attended and completed All-Weather Interceptor Training. He was assigned to fly F-89 Scorpions with the 445th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan until May 1957. From there he went to the 59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Goose Bay, Labrador until May 1958.

In May 1958 Jim was sent to Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts flying the F-89 and Walker Air Force Base in New Mexico until October 1960.

When he was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, he started flying the F-101B Voodoo with the 15th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from October 1960 to November 1962.

Captain Clements was an F-101 flight instructor with the 4756th Combat Crew Training Squadron in Florida at Tyndall Air Force Base until January 1967.

He deployed to Southeast Asia in July 1967 with the 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Korat Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a prisoner by the enemy. He was flying a F-105D Thunderchief, commonly called the Thud, when forced to eject.

Prisoner of War from 9 October 1967 to 14 March 1973. ^[2]

He was flown out on C-141 Tail number 70007 from Gia Lam Airport, Hanoi, North Vietnam at 1430 hours and arrived at Clark Air Base, Philippines at 1715 hours.

After a brief period of hospitalization he attended Air War College. His final assignment took him to Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas where he retired in 1975.

Military Honors

His SILVER STAR CITATION:

For the period 11 October 1967 to 13 October 1967. This officer distinguished himself by gallantry and intrepidity in action in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force during the above period while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. Ignoring international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, the enemy resorted to mental and physical cruelties to obtain information, confessions, and propaganda materials. This individual resisted their demands by calling upon his deepest inner strengths in a manner which reflected his devotion to duty and great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

1. Silver Star Medal.
2. Legion of Merit.
3. Distinguished Flying Cross with V Device and 2 Bronze Clusters.
4. Bronze Star Medal with V Device and 1 Bronze Cluster.
5. Purple Heart.
6. Air Medal with 1 Silver Cluster and 1 Bronze Cluster.

Retirement from the United States Air Force

Lieutenant Colonel Clements retired on 1 April 1975.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant Colonel Clements died on 27 March 1997 in Queen City, Cass, Texas, United States at the age of 64. The cause of his death was carcinoma of the throat (cancer). He was buried in the Queen City Cemetery, Queen City, Cass, Texas. Find A Grave: Memorial #117587226

Sources

• Texas Birth Index.
• Texas Birth Certificates.
• 1940 United States Federal Census on 20 April in Cass County, Texas. Page 12A, Lines 8-10. ^[3]
• Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File, 5/1/1962-3/22/1979 [Archival Database]; Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam Conflict, 1/20/1967-12/1998; Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
• 1993 US Public Records Index in Queen City, TX.
• U.S. Veterans Gravesites.
• Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
• U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index.
• U.S. Social Security Death Index.
• Texas Death Index. States name, place.
• Find A Grave Index.

Footnotes

1. ↑ TX Birth Rec
2. ↑ NAM POW List
3. ↑ 1940: Clements, James 27, 1 year high school, farmer, head; Verna 29, wife; James A. 7, son.

Acknowledgements