James Ammons February 22, 1931 * November 15, 2006
My first recollection of Jim was in 1964 on board a Navy ship in the Carribean as I was making my first cruise as a second lieutenant platoon commander with the Marines. He was then a lieutenant J.G. and was the Navy Protestant chaplain which simply means he was along with the Catholic chaplain, Father Malcolm, an officer who looked after the spiritual well being of the Sailors and Marines through counseling, observing and religious services. I was a music major in college and always looking for an excuse to play music, offered my services as organist to Jim knowing that I would be able to indulge in my hobby. It was the start of a long friendship that came recently to an end with Jim`s passing. We shared the same birthday, ten years to the day, I being born on February 22, in 1941. The first thing I noticed about Jim when he was in uniform was the full chest of campaign ribbons on his chest to which he informed me were World War II, and Korea service medals. He had I believe, if my memory serves me well, enlisted underage at 16 in the Marines in 1946 and was sent to China for postwar operations. He returned to civilian life and joining the army reserve as an engineer. He was called to active duty during the Korean war seeing action there. He returned again to civilian life and became a Baptist minister taking a commission in the Chaplains Corps in the Navy in the early 60`s.
Jim´s first task with me was to try to cure my penchant for using cuss words and it was a valiant attempt that was probably one of Jim´s only failures. I heard him say only one cuss word in all the years I knew him and that as he quoted a toast that he had made to a Colonel nicknamed "Blackjack" at a dinner in Vietnam (I was not present) for battalion commanders. He told me about it and the purpose of the toast was to give a sly jibe to "Blackjack`s" somewhat degenerate life style and the subsequent maladies of the consequences. (Blackjack was our battalion XO on the Carribean cruise and Jim had an opportunity to get to know him well) He (Blackjack) was a great Marine, colorful, and a fighter. Jim`s toast went something like this as he raised his glass to this memorable Marine, " Well Blackjack, here´s to F******g !" Jim told me this story as we were jogging inside the perimeter of Camp JJ Carroll on the DMZ which incidentally was at high noon on a sunny extremely hot day in April. It was good time to work out as it was too hot to do anything else. I would bet there are few Navy Chaplains who would be jogging anywhere at 95 degrees fahrenheit unless they were crazy former Marines.
The Carribean cruise moved along with landings in Puerto Rico and Guantanamo. Jim and I took a walk to inspect "Gitmo" one day and as it would be, me being a hot tempered unseasoned 2d Lt., we were passed by some Seabees who like many sailors had forgotten what saluting is all about. I had a fit and was cussing them out with Jim gently pulling me back telling me to relax and go easy on them thar " bad words".
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Sundays were the high point of the week back then for me and Jim asked me to get some of the troops together to help with the hymn singing at the services. Jim then mentioned to Lt.Col. "Blackjack" about the church services and the music and I got a call to report to the XO. He commanded me to form a BLT Chorus of Marines and with Jim's help we got a group of songbirds from among the troops. When we arrived at San Juan Puerto Rico, the BLT Chorus toured the area singing Christmas music at various public events. Jim came along to give moral support and offer critique.
I arrived in September of 1966 at An Hoa, Vietnam, a military base 50 miles or so south of Da Nang to begin my tour or duty with the 3rd Battalion, Ninth Marines and the first person to welcome me aboard was Jim Ammons. What a surprise and a pleasure to see him again. He asked me if I would play for services and I agreed but would need the field organ (a sort of harmonium with foot pedals to produce the sound) in the company headquarters or "Hooch". . I was XO of India Company at the time and Captain Navadel, my company commander said I must stay in the rear to write up recommendations for battle awards and look after the office personnel until I completed the drafts for the recommendations for heroism in combat. The field organ was placed to the right of my field desk and I was able to once again indulge in my music hobby.
I often remember many occasions walking with Jim, long conversations and at the time, smoking our pipes. Jim was an avid pipe smoker at that time and I was so impressed, I asked my wife to send me one in a care package. I have included a picture of Jim with his pipe and the situation is rather unusual. We were on patrol and Jim had asked to go along. How many chaplains have ever gone on a combat patrol as observer? We moved through a bush row at an accessible point, first I and then First Sergeant Raymond Rogers. Jim was behind us and stopped. I turned to see why he hadn't followed and pointed to the ground we had just walked over. The first sergeant's mouth opened wide and my eyes took in a trip wire that we had miraculously stepped over without touching it attached to a homemade mine. It was a grenade in a tin can and when pulled out it would explode. The picture shows Jim and in the background which is difficult to see, is the mine.
He had a soft voice and delivered his sermons with a convincing style. He once gave me advice as I was having problems with running a rifle company and that was to try to be ahead of the situation and to not merely react. This was probably the best advice I have ever gotten, something I still am trying to work on. People like Jim tell you things and you never forget them. I still keep on remembering things that he said to me after all these years. Some things are somewhat buried in the back of the mind and then I think about him. It all comes back.
Over the years after completing active duty, I remained in the Marine Corps Reserves and on occasions visited with Jim and his wife Jeannine in Virginia. He had risen in the Chaplain Corps Ranks and was working at the Naval Annex near the Pentagon. He told me a few years later that he had taken up Tai Quan Do martial arts and had broken his back at an martial arts exhibition. He was told in the hospital that he would not be able to be as physically active as before but he came out of the hospital and was as fit as ever. Then there were some years when Jim moved on to other things and we lost contact. He led I believe a Presbterian Congregation and later together with his wife gave inspirational seminars.
I was able again to find Jim a few years ago through Colonel George Navadel, USMC who has in many respects watched over our former rifle company in Vietnam and has been the point of contact for so many of us that served together.
Jim told me that he had been battling cancer for some years and he continued to battle for the next 4 or 5 years during which we were able to correspond through letters, telephone calls and emails. In January of 2006, I talked to his wife Jeannine who said that Jim had come back from the hospital and did not want any more treatment. She said he would be receiving hospice care, a service for people in the end phase of illness. He fought on until this November.
Good bye and Semper Fidelis Jim
