James Pendleton

James Edward Pendleton Sr. of El Campo died Friday, Dec. 19, 2008 at the age of 84.

He was born Feb. 17, 1924 in Thackerville, Okla. to William Miles and Essie Smart Pendleton.

Upon the outbreak of WWII, he joined the U.S. Marine Corp on Feb. 13, 1945. He took boot training at San Diego, Calif. then transferred to New River, N.C. where the Third Marine Division was formed. This Division left for Camp Pendleton in Calif. in Oct. 1942 and after training for invasion tactics, left in Feb. 1943 for Auckland, New Zealand.

They were put through their paces for endurance, performing 60 mile hikes with full equipment, and making several landings from vessels. In May 1943 they were shipped to Guadacanal for mopping up operations against the Japanese who still held out there. This gave them experience in jungle warfare. In Nov. 1943, they landed at Bougainville and fought their way up to the Torokina River where they dug in. The Army relieved them, but two days later they had to take over again.

In Jan. 1944, they were returned to Guadacanal for replacements and further training. In June they again went aboard ship, and became the floating reserve at Saipan. They next went to Guam where they made a landing on July 21, 1944. The tank Mr. Pendleton was in received a direct hit and they were obliged to wade some 500 yards under intense fire, cross a small beach and scale a high cliff where they received several attacks from the Japanese.

Mr. Pendleton was wounded the following day. The island was secured on Aug. 10, 1944, replacements arrived and training started again. Their next landing was Feb. 21, 1945 at Iwo Jima, where Mr. Pendleton was wounded once more. He was returned to San Diego the following April and after 30 days leave at home, reported to the Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi. He remained at the Radar School there until Feb. 13, 1946, when he received an honorable discharge.

Mr. Pendleton was a machine gun squad leader at Bougainville and Guam, and a section leader at Iwo Jima. He received two Purple Hearts, a Presidential Unit Citation, a Navy Citation and one from General Graves G. Erskin.

After his retirement from the Dept. of Defense, he was a commercial building inspector for the city of Richardson. He lived in Plano until 1987 when he and his wife moved to El Campo.

He was a Marine Corp veteran, a member of the Purple Heart Assoc., life member of the National 3rd Marine Division Assoc., life member of Texas Chapter of the 3rd Marine Division Assoc., a member of the American Legion Post 251, the Masonic Lodge #925, and Travis Ave. Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife Darlene Wigginton Pendleton of El Campo; children, James E. Pendleton Jr. and wife Nancy of Arlington, Claudia Moss and husband Joel of Texarkana, William W. "Billy" Pendleton II and wife Pam of Garland, Dwight Miles Pendleton and wife Kathy of Celeste; stepchildren James Sparks of San Antonio, Sherry Kana and husband James of the Woodlands and Terry Gingrich and husband Michael of Angleton; grandchildren, Lori and Steve Jackson, Stacy and Travis Liles, Melanie Moss, James E. and Mary Pendleton III, Laura and David Quintanilla, Amanda and Zack Ruetebuch, Tiffany and Michael Murphy, Lyndsey Wright, Brittany Pendleton, Jason and Jana Adams, Kelly Kana, Brad Kana, Robert and Teresa Kana; great-grandchildren, Kaleigh and Jake Jackson, Trace and Reese Liles, Jessica, Tyler and Brianna Pendleton, Kennedy Quintanilla and Railyn and Jaileigh Murphy and Cody and Jesse Adams.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Celeste Adele Harding Pendleton; and brother, William Wade Pendleton.

Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. Bob Hobbins officiating. Graveside services followed under the auspices of the Masonic Lodge and with Military Honors under the auspices of the American Legion Post 251 at Garden of Memories Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were Jason Adams, Jim Pendleton III, Brad Kana, Robert Kana, James Kana, Mike Gingrich, Domingo Aguilar and Michael Murphy.

Honorary pallbearers were A.L. Tarver, Lawrence Polensky, Paul Beight, Oliver Workman, T.J. Tijerena and Jim Talbert.

Memorial donations in memory of James E. Pendleton Sr. may be made to Memorial Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1245, El Campo, Texas 77437. Arrangements were under the direction of Triska Funeral Home.