James Schylor Lance, Jr. was the first born of Virginia (née Clore) and James S. Lance growing up in Cape Girardeau, Missouri before his family relocated to Oregon in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. During World War II, S/Sgt. Lance served in the U.S. Army and received his training with the IInd Armored Corps under George S. Patton, at Camp Cooke, California. He was then sent to the South Pacific assigned to the Anti-tank Company, 132nd Infantry Regiment, Americal Division. He quickly moved up through the ranks obtaining the rank of Platoon Sgt for 1st Platoon (Heavy Weapons Platoon). He fought in all campaigns on Guadalcanal, Fiji, Leyte, Bougainville, Cebu, and the occupation of Japan earning him the Combat Infantryman's badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal w/ 2 Bronze Stars & 1 arrowhead device, WWII Victory w/ Japan clasp, and Philippine Liberation medal with one Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation with an Oak Leaf Cluster. He suffered multiple combat related wounds, injuries, and tropical diseases (including malaria), but in 1944 he was seriously wounded in the upper chest and left hand by shrapnel from a Japanese mortar round that exploded in front of him. After months in hospital, and despite the amputation of his left thumb, he returned to his unit which was still engaged in heavy fighting. He was part of the planned Allied invasion of Japan, when they dropped the atomic bombs. While serving as occupation forces in Yokohama, Japan he was informed of his promotion to "Tech Sergeant" (now SFC = Sergeant First Class), but was honorably discharged and sent home before it would take affect. He lived in a cabin (he built) in the mountains "off grid" for years, with his Uncle Dennis , living off the land, hunting and fishing for sustenance, strictly with archery (refusing to use a rifle again, and forced to learn left handed use of the bow, due to the loss of his left thumb), to readjust to civilian life and put the horrors of war behind him.
Five years later, after numerous dates (that included camping trips to test her outdoormanship), he married Cleo Fern née Kimmerling in San Diego, California, on May 13, 1950. They had three children. He studied on the GI Bill and went into design work and civil engineering. He opened his own Tool & Die company manufacturing parts for the then lucrative San Diego Aircraft industry. In this capacity, he designed a variable plethora of highly complicated tooling and manufacturing methods that he developed into numerous U.S. patents. During this time, he personally built his first house, for his young family, on the cliffs overlooking La Jolla shores in Southern California. He expanded his knowledge and skills to later became an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed, then moving on to marine engineering for various San Diego ship building firms (such as Campbell Industries, NASCO, and others). Finally working as the chief design engineer for various secret programs for the U.S. Navy. He retired after building his third home in the mountain community of Julian (in east San Diego county), yet occasionally being consulted by the U.S. Navy as one of its top consultants for various top secret Navy projects being developed and built in Hawaii and elsewhere.
In early 2006, he finally relocated to Oregon, a place still close to his heart. A place of his youth where he grew up with the Klamath Indians, learning to hunt and fish with a bow. Months after his return, he passed away in his sleep, at his new home, just shy of his 82nd birthday. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter Ashley Lance and was survived by his wife Cleo, and their three children; Jeff S. (Vickie) of Alpine, California; Janet S. Stephens (Zach) of Ramona, California; and Jay S. of Oregon. As well as four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Note: Sgt. Lance, served in the same unit as Lieutenant Joseph Wapner (made famous as the original Judge on "The People's Court" TV court show), in the South Pacific, during WW2 .
Five years later, after numerous dates (that included camping trips to test her outdoormanship), he married Cleo Fern née Kimmerling in San Diego, California, on May 13, 1950. They had three children. He studied on the GI Bill and went into design work and civil engineering. He opened his own Tool & Die company manufacturing parts for the then lucrative San Diego Aircraft industry. In this capacity, he designed a variable plethora of highly complicated tooling and manufacturing methods that he developed into numerous U.S. patents. During this time, he personally built his first house, for his young family, on the cliffs overlooking La Jolla shores in Southern California. He expanded his knowledge and skills to later became an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed, then moving on to marine engineering for various San Diego ship building firms (such as Campbell Industries, NASCO, and others). Finally working as the chief design engineer for various secret programs for the U.S. Navy. He retired after building his third home in the mountain community of Julian (in east San Diego county), yet occasionally being consulted by the U.S. Navy as one of its top consultants for various top secret Navy projects being developed and built in Hawaii and elsewhere.
In early 2006, he finally relocated to Oregon, a place still close to his heart. A place of his youth where he grew up with the Klamath Indians, learning to hunt and fish with a bow. Months after his return, he passed away in his sleep, at his new home, just shy of his 82nd birthday. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter Ashley Lance and was survived by his wife Cleo, and their three children; Jeff S. (Vickie) of Alpine, California; Janet S. Stephens (Zach) of Ramona, California; and Jay S. of Oregon. As well as four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Note: Sgt. Lance, served in the same unit as Lieutenant Joseph Wapner (made famous as the original Judge on "The People's Court" TV court show), in the South Pacific, during WW2 .
James Schylor Lance, Jr. was the first born of Virginia (née Clore) and James S. Lance growing up in Cape Girardeau, Missouri before his family relocated to Oregon in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. During World War II, S/Sgt. Lance served in the U.S. Army and received his training with the IInd Armored Corps under George S. Patton, at Camp Cooke, California. He was then sent to the South Pacific assigned to the Anti-tank Company, 132nd Infantry Regiment, Americal Division. He quickly moved up through the ranks obtaining the rank of Platoon Sgt for 1st Platoon (Heavy Weapons Platoon). He fought in all campaigns on Guadalcanal, Fiji, Leyte, Bougainville, Cebu, and the occupation of Japan earning him the Combat Infantryman's badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal w/ 2 Bronze Stars & 1 arrowhead device, WWII Victory w/ Japan clasp, and Philippine Liberation medal with one Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation with an Oak Leaf Cluster. He suffered multiple combat related wounds, injuries, and tropical diseases (including malaria), but in 1944 he was seriously wounded in the upper chest and left hand by shrapnel from a Japanese mortar round that exploded in front of him. After months in hospital, and despite the amputation of his left thumb, he returned to his unit which was still engaged in heavy fighting. He was part of the planned Allied invasion of Japan, when they dropped the atomic bombs. While serving as occupation forces in Yokohama, Japan he was informed of his promotion to "Tech Sergeant" (now SFC = Sergeant First Class), but was honorably discharged and sent home before it would take affect. He lived in a cabin (he built) in the mountains "off grid" for years, with his Uncle Dennis , living off the land, hunting and fishing for sustenance, strictly with archery (refusing to use a rifle again, and forced to learn left handed use of the bow, due to the loss of his left thumb), to readjust to civilian life and put the horrors of war behind him.
Five years later, after numerous dates (that included camping trips to test her outdoormanship), he married Cleo Fern née Kimmerling in San Diego, California, on May 13, 1950. They had three children. He studied on the GI Bill and went into design work and civil engineering. He opened his own Tool & Die company manufacturing parts for the then lucrative San Diego Aircraft industry. In this capacity, he designed a variable plethora of highly complicated tooling and manufacturing methods that he developed into numerous U.S. patents. During this time, he personally built his first house, for his young family, on the cliffs overlooking La Jolla shores in Southern California. He expanded his knowledge and skills to later became an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed, then moving on to marine engineering for various San Diego ship building firms (such as Campbell Industries, NASCO, and others). Finally working as the chief design engineer for various secret programs for the U.S. Navy. He retired after building his third home in the mountain community of Julian (in east San Diego county), yet occasionally being consulted by the U.S. Navy as one of its top consultants for various top secret Navy projects being developed and built in Hawaii and elsewhere.
In early 2006, he finally relocated to Oregon, a place still close to his heart. A place of his youth where he grew up with the Klamath Indians, learning to hunt and fish with a bow. Months after his return, he passed away in his sleep, at his new home, just shy of his 82nd birthday. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter Ashley Lance and was survived by his wife Cleo, and their three children; Jeff S. (Vickie) of Alpine, California; Janet S. Stephens (Zach) of Ramona, California; and Jay S. of Oregon. As well as four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Note: Sgt. Lance, served in the same unit as Lieutenant Joseph Wapner (made famous as the original Judge on "The People's Court" TV court show), in the South Pacific, during WW2 .
Five years later, after numerous dates (that included camping trips to test her outdoormanship), he married Cleo Fern née Kimmerling in San Diego, California, on May 13, 1950. They had three children. He studied on the GI Bill and went into design work and civil engineering. He opened his own Tool & Die company manufacturing parts for the then lucrative San Diego Aircraft industry. In this capacity, he designed a variable plethora of highly complicated tooling and manufacturing methods that he developed into numerous U.S. patents. During this time, he personally built his first house, for his young family, on the cliffs overlooking La Jolla shores in Southern California. He expanded his knowledge and skills to later became an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed, then moving on to marine engineering for various San Diego ship building firms (such as Campbell Industries, NASCO, and others). Finally working as the chief design engineer for various secret programs for the U.S. Navy. He retired after building his third home in the mountain community of Julian (in east San Diego county), yet occasionally being consulted by the U.S. Navy as one of its top consultants for various top secret Navy projects being developed and built in Hawaii and elsewhere.
In early 2006, he finally relocated to Oregon, a place still close to his heart. A place of his youth where he grew up with the Klamath Indians, learning to hunt and fish with a bow. Months after his return, he passed away in his sleep, at his new home, just shy of his 82nd birthday. He was loved and respected by all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter Ashley Lance and was survived by his wife Cleo, and their three children; Jeff S. (Vickie) of Alpine, California; Janet S. Stephens (Zach) of Ramona, California; and Jay S. of Oregon. As well as four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. (Bio by: Jay Lance)
Note: Sgt. Lance, served in the same unit as Lieutenant Joseph Wapner (made famous as the original Judge on "The People's Court" TV court show), in the South Pacific, during WW2 .
Inscription
Staff Sergeant US Army
World War II
Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart
LOVED PARENTS
Gravesite Details
Veteran of 32 months combat duty
Family Members
Children
