1970-1977 with 7.6 years Active US ARMY, 1985 to 2009 USAFR.
James Elmo Reece III, beloved husband and devoted father, is the son of James Elmo Reece Jr, Grandson to James Elmo Reece Sr, Great Grandson to William Ervin Reece, all of Wilmngton, NC.
He is the brother of Thomas(Tom) Mark Reece, Wilmington, NC and Diane Marie Reece Boyd Wilmington, NC.
Married Charlene Kay Flowers of Tacoma, WA in 1977 and divorced in 1987. Had one daughter, Chelsie Iris Reece of Tacoma, WA in 1984. He later married Elanne Joy Bender of Soap Lake, Washington on 24 Oct 1987 and has two daughters with her, Shaunna Danette Reece and Doni Shereen Reece. He has 6 grandsons, Jimmy Myers Reece by Chelsie Reece and Kyler Deckert, Joshua Deckert and Kori Deckert by Doni Reece and Wyatt James Baird and Jayden Baird by Shaunna Reece.
Born in Glendale, CA, left at the age of 1, and lived the next twenty years in Wilmington, NC. Atternded St Mary's School 1954 to 1963. Graduated from NHHS in 1969 and promptly joined the Army. I got tired of walking, left the Army and joined the US Air Force, retired as a First Sergeant in 2009. Lifetime member of the VFW and the USAF Sergeants Association. I followed in the footsteps of my Father and Grandfather by working as a Firefighter and Civil Servant until my retirement in 2004. After retirement in 2004, I moved to Maui. Left Maui in June 2011 and settled in my hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina close to my only Brother and only Sister. Playing more golf and not getting any better except now I play from the Senior Tees. I go sick from Pulmonary Emboli and left Wilmington to be close to Chelsie. Living in East Wenatchee, WA now. You really "can't" go home.
Other Comments:
Retired from the USAFR, came off the rolls permanently Dec 1st, 2009.
Last job was www.togethweserved.com. No more paid work as of 30 Nov 2015.
Description Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003.
United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of monitoring and controlling the airspace south of the 32nd Parallel (extended to the 33rd Parallel in 1996) in southern and south-central Iraq during the period following the end of the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992 with the stated purpose of ensuring Iraqi compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 (UNSCR 688) of 5 April 1991, which demanded that Iraq "immediately end this repression and express the hope in the same context that an open dialogue will take place to ensure that the human and political rights of all Iraqi citizens are respected." Nothing in the resolution spelled out the Iraqi no-fly zones or Operation Southern Watch.
Iraqi bombing and strafing attacks against the Shi’ite Muslims in Southern Iraq during the remainder of 1991 and during 1992 indicated Saddam Hussein chose not to comply with the resolution. Forces from Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France participated in Operation Southern Watch. The commander of JTF-SWA, an aeronautically rated United States Air Force (USAF) Major General, assisted by an aeronautically designated United States Navy (USN) Rear Admiral, reported directly to the Commander, United States Central Command (USCENTCOM).
Military engagements in Southern Watch occurred with regularity, with Coalition aircraft routinely being shot at by Iraqi air defense forces, though they were usually only reported in the Western press occasionally. An intensification was noted prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, though it was said at the time to just be in response to increasing activity by Iraqi air-defense forces. It is now known that this increased activity occurred during an operation known as Operation Southern Focus.