James E. Walters, 94

James E. Walters, loving husband of Leona Lee Walters, passed away on Thursday evening, November 12, 2015, at Inova Loudoun Hospital.

He was born on September 29, 1921, in the city of Hancock, Maryland, which is located in the northwestern part of the state. He was 94 years old at the time of his death.

He was a child of the Great Depression. He had two brothers and two sisters, and the lessons he learned during the early years of his life shaped the character of the man he was to become. His father James, known as “Tab,” worked for the B&O Railroad. His mother, Clara, baked the breads, rolls, and pastries in her small kitchen that Jim delivered to local residents, friends, and restaurants as the family struggled to survive. He was a man who always paid in cash, and when credit cards came into common use, he shunned them, believing that they lead only to the burden of debt.

After Jim completed high school, his family moved to Cumberland, Maryland. There he became a contract worker for Mr. Ralph Sell, a distributor for the Kraft Food Company, selling goods over a wide area of south central Pennsylvania. In 1939, at the age of 18, he joined the Maryland Army National Guard, and a few years later, while still traveling for Mr. Sell, he received a call from his mother informing him that he had been drafted and was to report for duty in early February, 1941.

He entered the United States Army as a private on February 3, 1941. During his training, he traveled to many states on the east coast, from Maine to Florida. Ultimately, he was deployed to Great Britain as a member of the advance troops that were making preparations for the thousands of American troops that would be secretly sent for training before the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy, France, known as Operation Overlord.

Jim was a member of the 29th Infantry Division, and was part of the second-day wave of American and Allied troops that stormed Omaha Beach. They made their way off the coast, and began the penetration into the interior of France, pushing the retreating German forces from the coast. On the fourth day of the invasion, Jim’s unit of 76 soldiers was ordered to move forward as an advance force toward the French city of Saint-Lo. Late that night they found themselves ahead of the retreating German force, and were captured. After a week had passed, they were marched and transported by truck and rail through Paris and Metz, France, and eventually to a prisoner of war camp, Stalag III C, in eastern Germany, near the Polish border. He was liberated in early 1945 by the advancing Russian army, made his way back through Poland to the Black Sea and eventually to the port of Odessa, where the Red Cross repatriated him on March 12, 1945.

He was reunited with his family and future wife in April, 1945. Leona Lee Growden and Jim were married in Cumberland, Maryland, on May 13, 1945, and departed that day for Miami, Florida, where they would honeymoon and Jim would take his convalescent leave from the U.S. Army. Following his honorable discharge from the military, they returned to Cumberland, and using Jim’s severance and back pay from the government, they purchased a small corner grocery store. Sometime in 1950, they sold the store and moved to the Washington, D.C. area. Jim was employed by the D.C. Transit Company as a bus driver and tour conductor until his retirement in 1976.

After retiring, Leona and Jim moved to Florida, first to Orlando, and eventually to Ocala. Never one to be idle, Jim continued to work as a tour director, traveling to Washington, D.C. for a company that brought middle school children to the Nation’s Capital, Philadelphia, New York City, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of their history education. He was also very involved in the local chapter of the Shriners and took special delight in driving his Volkswagen Funny Car in their charity events and parades. The Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa Bay, Florida, became his favorite charity. He also enjoyed organizing social trips for his church community.

Leona and Jim moved to the Ashby Ponds Community of Ashburn, Virginia, in early 2011. As part of history education in the Loudoun County public schools, Jim was invited to participate in the Meet and Honor Our Veterans program at various middle schools. He was eager to tell the students his World War II stories and to share with them his prisoner of war experiences. He was especially proud to educate them on the role of women during the war, as his future wife had worked loading ammunition for our troops in the war effort.

Jim is survived by his wife of 70 years, Leona; his sons Gary J. Walters (Barbara), and Gregory W. Walters (Nancy); his sister, Patricia Gambino; and his brother, Donald Walters. He leaves four grandchildren; Claire Salazar, Brian Walters, Suzanna Smith, and Jeremy Walters; and four great-grandchildren; Kelly Smith, Donovan Smith, Keegan Walters, and Griffin Walters.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2015, at the Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg, Virginia, 201 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, Virginia 20176. The gathering of family and friends will occur between 1:00 and 2:00 pm, with a remembrance ceremony beginning at 2:00 pm. Final interment will occur early next year at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa Bay, Florida, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

www.colonialfuneralhome.com