He was born near Philidelphia in 1919.He grew up in an Irish catholic family who ran a grocery store, he worked there running a truck to market st in philly every day until he was drafted into the army in 1940.
What was to be one year in the army of course turned into nearly six with the start of WWII. He attended infantry school at Ft Polk la., artillery school at ft Sill Ok.,Radio school at Ft monmouth Nj, And OCS back at FT Polk.
He was sent to the pacific where he was training for island operations when the 1St marine div. needed to be rounded out he was attached to them as a 1st leutenant,on the eve of the siapan invasion he was promoted to captain when his CO was killed in some accident on a liberty ship, and he hit the beachs with the first wave of marines.
He stayed on in siapan until the end of the war chaseing down snipers who would shoot at the B29's taking off for japan.
After the war he returned to Pa where he raised a family, 11 children by the time he was 42. Moved the family to South Jersey when "that damn acme market opened up" he pronouced acme as "ack-a-me".
He worked a couple different jobs befor becoming a carpenter, later a contractor,who's company still runs in Glassboro Nj to this day, And finally retireing with his wife of over 60 years in Vineland NJ.
He was a hardworking, kind, honest, understanding and loyal man. In the early morning hours of April 5th 2007 he closed his eyes for the last time.
The world lost a great man, I lost my father.
James Joseph Dougherty
1919-2007
