James P. PASSONS (VETERAN WWII KIA)

FIRST LIETUENANT US Marines
World War II
1921-1944

Marksmanship medals for machine gun, rifle and pistol and expert medals in bayoneting, hand grenade and knife throwing.

*Photo/Information, courtesy of Edith Guynes Stanley

*Obituary
Lt. James P. Passons has given his life in action in the service of his country according to a brief telegram received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Passons, Saturday afternoon. The message received from a Marine Commandant did not tell where the young man was nor when he was killed, but it is known that he was somewhere in the Southwest Pacific. The Commandant stated a letter would follow.

Lt. Passons, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Passons, was a graduate of Texas A. and M., where he majored in Agricultural Economics and received his degree in the spring of 1942, volunteered for service in the U.S. Marine Corps in March of that year and was called to active duty in November.

Born March 5, 1921, James came to Wheeler county with his parents later that year. At the age of 12 he became a member of the Baptist church and had been active in church work ever since. He graduated from the Wheeler High school with the class of 1938 and lettered in football for three years.

An outstanding 4-H club member, his club activities started when he was 10 years of age and 10 of his 11 calves fed in projects placed for honors in local, state and tri-state contests. Besides feeding a calf each year in his club work he had annual crop projects and was twice world champion in the production of kafir grain. This was in 1932 and 1933. His projects won him three trips to the Short Course at College Station and one trip (1936) to the 4-H Club National Congress held annually in Chicago. That year he was also high point man of the local live stock judging team that placed first in the state contest and represented Texas in that capacity at the National Congress. In his Junior year at A. and M. he was high point man in the meat judging contest of the annual Ft. Worth show.

The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and succeeding events brought more important ambitions to the enterprising Agricultural Economics top notcher. The safety of his country was involved and endangered.

Since it is known that the Marines usually see action in advance of other branches of the armed forces, Lt. Passons centered his efforts on becoming a top notch Marine.

While in training at Quantico, Va., Norfolk, Va., and New River, N.C., the young Marine received marksmanship medals for machine gun, rifle and pistol and expert medals in bayoneting, hand grenade and knife throwing. At each of the three training centers he was asked by his commanding officers to help train men. At each he asked his commanding officers for duty in the combat zone.

In December last year Passons landed in Hawaii and did instructive work until a month or so ago. The last letter received by his parents from him was written June 10. It was the first letter they had received in some time and intimated he had spent considerable time on a ship. It indicated that he had at last realized his desire...that of being with the men he had helped instruct...that he was with them in action in the service of his country.

(Published in The Wheeler Times, Wheeler, Texas, Volume XI Number 32, Thursday, July 20, 1944, Page 1)
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U.S., Marine Corps Casualty Indexes, 1940-1958
Name: James Perry Passons
Casualty Date: 23 Jun 1944
Casualty Type: KIA
Unit: CO."C", 1STBN, 29TMAR, 2NDMARDIV, FMF, MARIANAS ISLANDS
Service number: 017723
Collection: US Marine WWII Casualty Card Database
Location: TAB PARSON-PATRICK
Item ID: 59987

Contributed on 11/30/21

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Record #: 471277

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