The complete obituary is posted below, but here is a story about him that all should enjoy. "On all his loads he would write on every box and thing he carried to the forward areas and Special Forces Camps: "This load delivered by RALPH". He did this for a long time, so when he went to Bangkok, he had a big rubber stamp made with that inscription on it. After he started delivering loads to the forward areas, it just made it easier to cover everything with the stamp: "This Load delivered by RALPH" It wasn't unusual for the other guys going into the forward areas to be asked by the Green Beret troops meeting their Blue tailed Caribous, "How is old Ralph doing these days? We haven't seen him around for a while". We would answer, "Old Ralph is doing fine; we'll tell him you asked about him". This went on for his duty there. The last time I talked with him, he mentioned that he still had the stamp and stamp pad. All the guys in the outfit called him "Ralph". When I talked with him on the phone here in the states, I always called him Ralph and we would have a good laugh about that time in Vietnam. Anyway, this is something that most people have probably forgotten, but it was always funny to me and caused amusement for many people in Vietnam when it was going on a long time ago! If you put something in the news letter about him, it should include this bit about his Vietnam activities. All the Mechs would remember this happening. I am saddened to see him reach the end, but we all get there someday." — Wayne Ervin |
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Obituary from TimesDaily.com: James V. Douglas Jr. Services for James V. Douglas Jr., age 70, of Houston Smith Road, Iron City, Tenn., will be Monday, Sept. 23, 2002, at 1 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church, with Bill Hamilton officiating. Interment with military rites will follow at Macedonia Cemetery, with Shackleford Funeral Directors in charge. Visitation will be Sunday, Sept. 22, 2002, from 3-9 p.m. at Shackleford Funeral Home in Collinwood and Monday, Sept. 23, 2002, from 10 a.m. until services at Macedonia Baptist Church. Mr. Douglas was born March 23, 1932, in Herrington, Kan. He died Sept. 19, 2002, at Alvin C. York Veterans Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tenn., from complications after suffering a stroke. He was preceded in death by parents, Virgil Douglas and Iva Wyatt Douglas; his wife, Annie E. Kelley Douglas. Mr. Douglas was retired from the U.S. Air Force after more than 20 years of service, achieving the rank of technical sergeant. He served tours of duty in Japan and Korea and two tours in Vietnam. He was devoted to his country and family. Mr. Douglas was a kind-hearted man who wanted to serve others. He was a member of Hendrix Road Baptist Church in Florence. He is survived by his daughters, Paula Ann Douglas Woods of Florence and Virginia Evelyn Douglas of Iron City; grandchild, Jo Anna Kelley; brother, Jessie Leroy Douglas of Kipp, Kan.; sister, Peggy Douglas Tyler of Salina, Kan. |