James Harold Dougherty was born to Thomas Jefferson Dougherty and Altha Mae Price, Nov. 23, 1929, in Fowler, Calif. James was the last of seven children.
Jim decided at 17, in 1947, he would join the Navy, his father signed for him, and he entered the U.S. Naval Service, his first duty station, NAS Monterey as an aviation metal smith and machinist.
He would eventually rise in rank quickly.
During the Korean War he flew as crew to evacuate critically wounded; the Navy MATS Squadron VR-8 he was assigned to extract thousands of critically wounded during the Korean War.
By 1957 he was the youngest chief petty officer in his rate in the Navy.
He met and brought to Hawaii in 1952 his bride of 44 years, the former Anna B. Lee of Dos Palos, Calif. They were married in Honolulu, November 1952.
Jim was sent to Heavy 10 at NAS Whidbey Island as maintenance chief in 1961. Jim was then sent to NAS Kingsville in late 1963 as the leading chief of VT-21.
In 1965, promoted to warrant officer and master chief at the same time, he had to make the choice, deciding to make a 30-year go of the Navy.
He took a $50 cut in pay and became a Naval warrant officer. Serving in this capacity and promoted eventually to chief warrant officer 4, he made four tours of Vietnam from 1966 through 1973 with VA-165 (first three) and VAQ-131, his last. VA-123, VA 129 and his last Squadron VA-128 rounded out his duty assignments at NAS Whidbey, retiring as chief warrant officer 4 after over 30 years of service.
He was awarded the Naval Commendation Medal for Valor, with 1-OLC and by the time of his last combat cruise ending in 1973, he had participated in 10 of the 17 campaigns that comprised the Vietnam War and over 12 and a half years of carrier-assigned duty.
He pursued another career in purchasing at Central Kitsap School District in 1979. He stayed for 21 years as their director of purchasing, building 15 new schools and refurbishing a number of others while supplying the day to day needs of the school district.
Jim was a real craftsman and repaired and restored early-American furniture for years with his wife, Ann, slowly filling their home.
Along with this, Jim loved the outdoors hunting and fishing all his life, spending many hours on Puget Sound with good friends from Silverdale, Terry and Sam, regardless the weather.
He remembered fondly the Elk Hunts with shipmate and family friend Gordy Nakagawa in Eastern Washington. Jim was a life member in the Kiwanis, serving for well over 33 years; a founding member of the Silverdale Kiwanis, he served as a lieutenant governor.
Jim passed on June 26, 2013, in the presence of his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Altha, his beloved wife, Ann, as well all of his siblings, brothers Carl, Ray, Harry, Gerald and sister Mary; and a step-daughter, Patricia.
A veteran of two wars, he is also preceded in death by valued shipmates who were his friends for life, men whom he trusted without question, respected deeply, and with fondness remembered with great honor having served at their side in the most trying of times.
He was a man with few peers.
He is survived by his son Craig (Christine) of Kent, Wash.; his daughters Susan (Jay Barringer) of Cocoa, Fla., and Julia (SFC Scott Aten) of Fort Lewis, Wash; five grandchildren, Gigi, Skipper, Keegan, James and Joshua; and 9 great-grandchildren. Jim remarried in 1999 and is survived by his wife, Marianne, step-daughter Melissa (Matt) of Puyallup, Wash., and two step-grandaughters, Sammy and Erin.
Remembrances may be made to the Disabled American Veterans Association.
