Marines, Army, Air Force Family holds memorial for three-time v

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Described as a sophisticated yet simple man by relatives, James Sanders served his country. Three times. In three wars. In three branches of the military.

A memorial for Sanders, who died Sept. 1, 2001, in Clearwater, Fla., was held Saturday in his family cemetery near Commerce.

Family members said they wanted to schedule the memorial near Independence Day because Sanders was such a patriotic man.

When the United States entered World War II, James, who was working in St. Louis at the time, came home to Commerce to enlist in the Marines. Because of his age, he was forced to get permission from his parents, said his brother, Louis Sanders.

"He just thought he ought to be there," he said. "When you're young, you get those types of ideas."

Sanders was shipped off to the Pacific campaign. After being discharged after his tour was up, he came back to the Commerce area.

Sanders married Virginia Gibson in 1946, but was soon off to serve his country again.

Sanders decided to enlist in the Army this time, and served from 1947 to 1950, seeing action in the Korean War.

Sanders' niece, Betty Shoaf, remembered Sanders as a man who was always aware of what was going on in the world.

"He just wanted to give back to his country," she said.

After his time in the Army was up, it didn't take long for Sanders to get that military itch again. Sanders chose the Air Force for his next tour of duty.

Shoaf said it was funny to think of her uncle in the Air Force, considering he didn't even like to fly. But she said Sanders always had to be doing something.

"He didn't think people should just sit still," she said.

Already in his mid-40s during the Vietnam War, Sanders didn't shy away from combat duty. Sanders served two tours, receiving an Air Force Commendation Medal for meritorious service from Oct. 13, 1970, to Dec. 5, 1971.

Shoaf remembers Sanders telling her of a time when he was literally blown out of his bunk in Vietnam. He was never seriously injured in combat, though, said Shoaf.

'Hunger for knowledge'

Despite 28 years of military service and three wars, his closest relatives remember James as a man who wouldn't even go hunting.

"He was just so kind and gentle," daughter Susan Sanders said.

Relatives described James as a brain, which would explain his return to school once he retired from the Air Force in 1975.

Shoaf said that Sanders simply had a passion for learning and knew everything about everything.

"He was an intelligent man with a hunger for knowledge," she said.

The Missouri Military Funeral Honors Team performed full military honors for the service, including a 21-gun salute, the playing of taps and a flag-folding and presentation ceremony. The group is made up of members of the 1140th Engineer Battalion out of Jackson, Mo.

The group, which travels from as far north as St. Louis to as far south as Van Buren, Mo., and all along the Arkansas border, is a volunteer unit that has about 10 regulars and 18 members in all.

The service is available to honorably discharged military personnel.

jjoffray@semissourian.com

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