James Butler Bonham – Colonel, United States Army

 James Butler Bonham, 85, an Army Colonel who retired in 1970 and then served 10 years as Controller and then Deputy Director of Army Emergency Relief, died August 10, 2003, after a heart attack at the Virginian retirement residence in Fairfax, Virginia, where he lived.

Colonel Bonham served 30 years in the Army, including duty in the Pacific during World War II. Later postings included Vietnam during the 1950s and Korea, and several assignments in the United States. His specialties included finance.

He was born in Chattanooga and had lived in the Washington area on and off since the mid-1930s. He graduated from Western High School and in 1940 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

His decorations included the Silver Star and two awards of the Bronze Star.

He was a former vestryman at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Annandale.

His marriage to Margaret Chambers ended in divorce. His second wife, Susan Haislip Bonham, died in 1980. His third wife, Roberta Truluck, died in 1999.

Survivors include two children from his second marriage, Sally Bonham Mohle of Fairfax and Jay Bonham of Forest Park, Georgia.

BONHAM, JAMES B
COL   US ARMY

• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
• DATE OF BIRTH: 02/24/1918
• DATE OF DEATH: 08/10/2003
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/24/2003
• BURIED AT: SECTION 8  SITE 7014

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard