With Memorial Day coming up, the Romeo Community Archives wants to honor those whose lives were taken by war. One of those was Master Sergeant James A. McVicar, who is seen in this newspaper photograph. This name might be recognizable because he is one of the six Romeo High School (RHS) athletes who were killed during the Second World War. All of them are honored by a plaque that was located near where the old Romeo Middle School was on Prospect Street. James was the eldest of those athletes, and his photograph was printed on the front page of the October 29, 1943 issue of The Romeo Observer Press.
James was born on June 19, 1914 in Illinois to parents Malcolm and Grace McVicar. By 1930, his family, which also included three siblings, moved to Bruce Township. He went to Romeo High School until 1932, and he enlisted in the army the following year.
James received training at Chanute Field in Illinois. When that was completed, he was stationed on the Philippine Islands, where he remained for four years. In 1935, he became a member of the Army Air Corps. When the war broke out in 1939, he came back to the states and was assigned to the Bomber Ferry command. While on tours of duty, he visited countries in South America, Africa, and Asia. When the United States officially entered the war in 1941, James was in a battle zone in Egypt.
By May 1942, he became a lieutenant and was in Australia after seeing battle in Burma (now Myanmar), Sumatra, Java, and the Philippines. At the time, he wrote to his sister Grace, mentioning that he was the "navigator on the personal plane of Lieut. General Greoge Brett, and, the activites of his squandron included the transporting of General Douglas MacArthur and other higher officials."
When March 1943 rolled around, James was promoted to Master Sergeant. In that month, James recevied the Distinguished Flying Cross - the highest honor awarded to an air man. He "was cited for 'exceptional professional skill, courage and endurance' in more than 50 flights from December 5, 1941, to March 10, 1942, including transport of high ranking officials, delivery of arms to combat zones and evacuation of civilian in a plane which did not carry combat armament."
Sadly, James wouldn't live to see the rest of the year. In late September 1943, he was reported missing in action since September 10. By the end of October, the war department officially declared him dead. James died in an airplane crash in the Asiatic Sector around September 10. He was later buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
There was no obituary for James in the The Romeo Observer Press although there was a memorial service held at the First Methodist Church (now the Romeo United Methodist Church) on Sunday, January 9, 1944. He received a posthumous citation of honor by the end of 1943. The Romeo Observer Press printed it in on the front page of their December 17, 1943 issue along with a letter detailing his honor.
In addition, Corporal Lee R. Buzzell of Armada wrote a letter remembering James as a person. The Romeo Observer Press printed it in on the front page of their January 7, 1944 edition.
Little else is known about him, but the letters show how James was a great and friendly man who was willing to do so much for his country. In 1945, the common council changed the name of Elm Road in Romeo to McVicar Road. One year later, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars altered its name to became the Striber-McVicar No. 2052 Post to honor his legacy.
James was survived by his father, sister, and brothers John and Donald.
If you know someone who served, feel free to share their story.
To learn more about James A. McVicar and other fallen soldiers, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890. If you want to search for articles on that topic, you can find the Romeo newspapers like The Romeo Observer on the Suburban Library Cooperative's Local History Digital Collection website.
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection, The Romeo Observer Press, May 15, 1942, p.1; March 26, 1943, p.1; September 24, 1943, p.1; October 29, 1943, p.1; December 17, 1943, p.1; January 7, 1944, p.1; and June 6, 1946, p.1; and Ancestry.com