James Henry Hughes

James Hughes, 90, of Palestine, died at Crawford Memorial Hospital, Robinson at 11:20 p.m., Friday, August 8, 2008. He was born in rural Crawford County, LaMotte Township, on September 17, 1917 the son of Virgil Hughes and Esther Alexander Hughes.On March 4, 1944, then Lt. J.G. Hughes, serving in the U.S. Navy, married Rita G. Smith in Lakehurst, NJ and she survives. He is also survived by his son, David S. Hughes, Palestine; two daughters, Nancy P. Kincaid, rural Palestine, and Diana L. Hughes, Port Townsend, WA. Additional survivors include his 5 grandchildren, Jenny Kincaid, Vancouver, WA, Cindy (Kincaid) Hodges, Spencer, IN, Ryan Kincaid, Cloverdale, IN, Michael Kincaid, Palestine, and Andrea Kincaid, Portland, OR; and 2 great grandchildren, Brianna Hodges and Ashlynn Kincaid.He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Martha Hughes; and his brother, David Hughes, in infancy.James grew up in Crawford County, IL, graduating from Palestine Township High School in 1935.He graduated from the University of Illinois in February 1940, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Engineering. He received a Civil Service appointment in December of 1941, and taught aircraft engines for the Air Force Technical Training School at Chanute Field in Rantoul, IL.In 1942, he was transferred to Wichita Falls, then to Amarillo, TX. That November, he enlisted at St. Louis, MO in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Cadet; he attended and trained in the Navy Schools until he received his commission and Gold Wings in March 1944. While training in Hannibal, MO, he received his private pilot’s license and transferred to pre-flight school in Athens, GA, then to Moffett Field near San Francisco to learn to fly Navy Blimps. He was then transferred to Lakehurst, NJ in November 1943. After being transferred to Weeksville Naval Air Station in North Carolina, he spent 15 months flying Navy Blimps, looking for German submarines, organizing and escorting convoys, rescue work, and locating sunken ships. He had 1400 hours flying time when VE Day came on July 1945. He was then transferred to Memphis, TN, where he received his discharge on the last day of December and became a full time farmer.He was a member of the Crawford County Farm Bureau, the Palestine Preservation Projects Society, the Naval Airship Association, the Robinson American Legion Post #69, the Robinson V.F.W. #4549, the Amvets Post #33, was an active member of the Palestine Alumni Association Reunion Committee, and was a member of the Illinois Society of Sons of the American Revolution, (Ancestor: Othniel Looker).Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, August 12th at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, August 11th, and until service time on Tuesday. Burial is in the Seaney Cemetery, rural Palestine. Memorials may be made to the Palestine Preservation Projects Society with envelopes available at the funeral home.