James L. Mayer was born January 24, 1919, and died May 1, 2011, at the age of ninety- two.
James went to work in Brownsville in 1940 with Pan-American Airlines which had a large facility at the Brownsville Airport. Pan-Am came here in the 1930’s. Passengers flying to Mexico or South American had to spend the night in Brownsville because of the limited range of airplanes at that time. James was trained as a radio operator and worked onboard the Pan- American China Clipper.
At the onset of WWII, James enlisted in the US Navy. He served as radio officer for naval aviation and decided to make the US Navy his career. His career in Naval Aviation spanned 30 years, serving in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
James was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 2002. He is buried beside her in the Hebrew Cemetery.
James died in Athens, Ohio, where his daughter lived. Although James lived in many places around the world, he considered himself a Texan. His tombstone is inscribed, “Always a
Texan”.
