Retired Army Major James Allan Baxter died Aug. 5, 2002 in Coupeville after a short illness. He was 82.

Born May 29, 1920, in Van Buren, Ark., Major Baxter was the son of the late James Napoleon and Grace Fleming Baxter. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Joyce, of Oak Harbor; one son, James, Jr.; three daughters, Annella, Patricia, and Roberta; and nine grandchildren. Also mourning his passing are three step-children and eight grandchildren.

Following commissioning as an Army aviator in 1942, Major Baxter was assigned to the 386th Bomber Group in Boxted, England, from which he flew 65 combat missions in B-26 Marauder aircraft over Nazi Germany. Upon conclusion of his European Theater combat tour in 1944, he was assigned as a flight demonstration pilot for the U.S. Army Air Corps, during which he helped organize and participate in the first U.S. military air shows, today flown by the USAF Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration teams.

Immediately following the end of World War II, Major Baxter was assigned as a military governor in Germany. From June 1948 to September 1949, he returned to Army aviation, flying humanitarian missions in C-47 aircraft during the Berlin Airlift. Until his retirement in 1961, Major Baxter performed in a variety of overseas assignments for the U.S. Army Intelligence branch.

Upon his retirement from the U.S. Army, Major Baxter was employed by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation as a security representative for a number of highly sensitive national security-related programs, including the SR-71 Blackbird extremely high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Following his retirement from Lockheed, Major Baxter initially established residence in Greenbank in 1985, and later moved to Oak Harbor.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m. at Oak Harbor Church of Christ, followed by interment at Tahoma National Cemetery at 3 p.m. Remembrances may be made in the form of contributions to the charity of your choice. Arrangements and cremation under the direction of Burley Funeral Chapel.