Clifton James, sheriff in 2 James Bond films, dies at 96
By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press
Apr 15, 2017
Clifton James, best known for his indelible portrayal of a southern sheriff in two James Bond films but who was most proud of his work on the stage, has died. He was 96.
His daughter, Lynn James, said he died Saturday at another daughter's home in Gladstone, Oregon, due to complications from diabetes.
"He was the most outgoing person, beloved by everybody," Lynn James said. "I don't think the man had an enemy. We were incredibly blessed to have had him in our lives."
James often played a convincing southerner but loved working on the stage in New York during the prime of his career.
One of his first significant roles playing a southerner was as a cigar-chomping, prison floor-walker in the 1967 classic "Cool Hand Luke."
His long list of roles also includes swaggering, tobacco-spitting Louisiana Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the Bond films.
His portrayal of the redneck sheriff in "Live and Let Die" in 1973 more than held its own with sophisticated English actor Roger Moore's portrayal of Bond.
James was such a hit that writers carved a role for him in the next Bond film, "The Man with the Golden Gun," in 1974. James, this time playing the same sheriff on vacation in Thailand and the epitome of the ugly American abroad, gets pushed into the water by a baby elephant.
"He wasn't supposed to actually go in," said his daughter. "They gave him sugar in his pocket to feed the elephant. But he wasn't giving it to the elephant fast enough."
She said her father met with real southern sheriffs to prepare for his role as Pepper. Of his hundreds of roles, it was the Louisiana sheriff that people most often recognized and approached him about.
His daughter noted that her father sometimes said actors get remembered for one particular role out of hundreds.
"His is the sheriff's, but he said he would have never picked that one," she said.
George Clifton James was born May 29, 1920, in Spokane, Washington, the oldest of five siblings and the only boy. The family lost all its money at the start of the Great Depression and moved to Gladstone, just outside Portland, Oregon, where James' maternal grandparents lived.
In the 1930s, James got work with the Civilian Conservation Corps and then entered World War II in 1942 as a soldier with the U.S. Army in the South Pacific, receiving two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star.
Lynn James said one of the Purple Hearts came when a bullet pierced his helmet and zipped around the inside to come out and split his nose. The second Purple Heart, she said, came from shrapnel that knocked out many of his teeth.
She said her father rarely spoke about the war and never described events leading to his receiving the Silver Star.
"He lost too many friends," she said.
After the war, James took classes at the University of Oregon and acted in plays. Inspired, he moved to New York and launched his acting career.
Later in life, he spent the fall and spring of each year in New York. In the winter, he lived in a condo in Delray Beach, Florida. During the summer he lived in Oregon.
James' wife, Laurie, died in 2015. He is survived by two sisters, five children, 14 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Lynn James said a celebration of her father's life will be held in Gladstone in August, but there are no other plans so far. She said some of his ashes will likely be spread in the Clackamas River in Oregon, in which he swam as a boy, and in New York Harbor, where some of his wife's ashes were spread.
USS Arizona survivor rejoins shipmates, interred aboard ship
By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A veteran who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and died last year at age 94 has been reunited with his fallen shipmates on the sunken USS Arizona.
Raymond Haerry was interred on the ship in a ceremony that his granddaughter says was solemn and beautiful.
Haerry was 19 years old when bombs started falling on his battleship on Dec. 7, 1941. He never returned to Pearl Harbor while he lived because the memories were too painful. As he neared the end of his life, he told his family he'd like to be laid to rest there.
Haerry died Sept. 27 in Rhode Island. Five Arizona survivors remain.
Haerry's granddaughter, Jessica Marino, traveled from New Jersey to Hawaii with her family for Saturday's ceremony. She handed his urn to divers, who placed it within the ship's sunken hull. Hundreds of sailors and Marines are entombed there.
"That was the point at which I kind of lost it," Marino said. "It was really sad, but also really sweet to see. It was amazing."
Only USS Arizona survivors can be interred on the ship. Haerry served for 25 years in the Navy, retiring as a master chief.
He's the 42nd survivor to rejoin his shipmates, according to the National Park Service.
Spokesman Jay Blount said these ceremonies help bring closure to the families, allow sailors to return to their shipmates and raise awareness of the sacrifices made 75 years ago. The National Park Service and the Navy conducted the interment.
Rear Adm. John Fuller talked about Haerry's courage— not the absence of fear, but a deep abiding belief in something greater than oneself.
"I can't help but think about him being reunited into these simple, hallowed spaces. The calm that comes from being again with your crew, and the lessons we can learn from all he taught us," said Fuller, commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.
Marino said she knows her grandfather better now.
"I know this part of his life that really did shape him," she said. "To be a part of getting him back to his ship and with his shipmates, it's an honor for me."
Health issues prevented Raymond Haerry Jr. from joining his daughter in Hawaii. It was Haerry Jr. who pieced together the narrative of what happened in Pearl Harbor by asking questions of his father over 50 years.
Haerry was trying to get ammunition when a large bomb detonated, igniting fuel and powder magazines, Haerry Jr. told The Associated Press in October. Most of the bow was instantly separated and the ship was lifted out of the water.
Haerry Jr. said his father swam through flaming waters, sweeping his arms in front of him to push the flames away. He shot at Japanese planes from shore. Later, he helped retrieve corpses from the harbor.
The ship lost 1,177 men, nearly four-fifths of its crew. At first, Haerry's family was surprised by his request to be laid to rest there, but soon they understood.
"That brotherhood doesn't go away and as he got closer to the end of life, it resonated with him," Marino said. "He didn't want to see the site or relive that disaster, but he wanted to relive that camaraderie."
Several weeks ago, I submitted my DNA to Ancestry.com. Well today I got an email saying the results were in. Cool stuff. Among the data, they also showed me dozen of people I could be related to, who had also taken the test. Well I contacted about 10 of them, and then hoped for the best. So imagine my surprise when I received an answer from one of them, within two hours.
I AM IN TEARS right now, but they are happy tears!
This is edited for privacy, but here is the letter I just got. Praise be!
Hi Marion, Your father Walter was my maternal Grandfather's (Joe Finkowski) cousin. My Great-Grandmother (Angeline Poniedzialek married Francis Finkowski) Angeline's Brother Albert was Walter's father (your Grandfather) I talked to my Mom who gave me this information. She would love to be in contact with you as she remembers Walter& Joe being very close....
This is an answer to my prayers. I'm still in shock!!!! She wrote back again and put me in touch with her mother. I just sent an email to her, so waiting... And to top all this off, we live about two and half hours from each other. Dad, I know you are smiling down!!!!
I'm Matthieu, 25, and it's a big big pleasure I join this forum. I was born in a city of 40 000 lives, Gap, in south Alps mountain, liberated in august 20, 1944 by elements of second battalion of 143rd inf regiment, 36th Div Texas, 117th Cavalry reconaissance Squadron, and 93rd Armored Field artillery Battalion. I'm living now in a small town of 7000 people, named Sisteron, 45km at the bottom of Gap, liberated by the sames units.
I collect since 10 years the US items about the units who liberated my city and the southern France (3rd, 36th and 45th infantry division, 117th cav reco sqd, 93rd AFA, 2nd, 3rd and 83rd chemical mortar battalion, Engineers combat units, etc..
With this first post, I wanna say a big big thank you to all the ww2 veterans who gives theirs life to liberate my city, and in general my country, la France, and the Europe. God bless the greatest generation.
I can assure you, we never forget their sacrifice here.
Wishing healing thoughts for Capt John Fallon, a very good friend and mentor, and member of the 36th Engineers. John is going through a rough time, and it looks as though he may wind up in a nursing facility. Oh how that saddens my heart.
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