James West

James Dennis West (Aug. 20, 1948 – May 15, 1967) was a U.S. Marine from Scott County killed in the Vietnam War.

See Also: Scott Countians killed in war

Biography

Born Aug. 20, 1948, James D. West was the son of Luther Johnson West (1911-1978) and Lona Watson (1924-2010). His siblings included Hazel Deloris Fisher (1943-2008), Charles D. West (1957-2019), and an infant. His half siblings included Doris Darlene Layne (1936-2021) and an infant born and died in 1938. Other siblings included Vera, Dorena, Dorinda, and Sharon.

His father was a veteran of World War II.

Vietnam War

LCpl. West dropped out of high school to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps at a recruiting office in Cincinnati, Oh. on Oct. 5, 1966. When he arrived in Vietnam, he was assigned to Alpha Co., 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. His battalion was participating in Operation Prarie IV southwest of Con Thien (Hill 158). He was wounded on May 13, 1967, and died on May 15, 1967.

Aftermath

LCpl. West’s body was returned to Scott County, and he was buried at Foster Crossroads Cemetery west of Oneida on May 30, 1967. His parents are also buried there.

He received the Purple Heart award. He is listed on the VFW Post 5669 Memorial Wall in Oneida, the Scott County Veterans Memorial in Huntsville, the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial in Knoxville, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.