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James Alvin Vandine 1922 - 2008

James Alvin Vandine was born on October 23, 1922 in Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio United States. He was in a relationship with Ruth Geraldine (Kinsey) Vandine, and had a child James Edward Vandine. James Vandine died at age 86 years old in 2008 at Northeast El Paso. 3800 Edgar Park Ave, in El Paso, El Paso County, TX, and was buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery 5200 Fred Wilson Ave, in El Paso. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember James Alvin Vandine.

James Alvin Vandine

October 23, 1922

Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, 44683, United States

2008

Northeast El Paso. 3800 Edgar Park Ave, in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, 79904, United States

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James Alvin Vandine James Vandine (1922 - 2008)

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James Alvin Vandine's History: 1922 - 2008

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Introduction

James A. Vandine was my father. Born in the Roaring Twenties, he lived through the Depression and joined the Navy at the age of 18 in 1940. He was a "plank owner" on the USS Washington (a battleship -- BB-56) and served on her throughout the Second World War, in the Atlantic, initially, and then in the Pacific for the rest of the war. His ship sank the IJNS Kirishima off Guadalcanal in November 1942, shortly after he turned 20. He was the man in control of the five inch guns that shot at the Kirishima, and he remembered hitting her at least 20 times that night. When she sank, he described her as rolling over in the moonlight and said he watched "all the white-clad sailors climbing up on the grey hull in the moonlight." Other highlights included the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Leyte Gulf, and even shelling the coast of Japan in 1945. After the war, he got out of the Navy so he could spend time with Mom (whom he married in June of 1942 as the USS Washington was getting extra flak guns put on her in the Philadelphia Navy Yard before going to the Pacific), and eventually wound up joining the US Army in the late 1940s. He served in the Army until 1966. After he retired, he became an Elementary School Teacher and Assistant Principle at Benjamin Milam School in El Paso, Texas, eventually retiring from that job in 1987. He lived his life quietly and without a big fuss and show, but when the chips were down, he was always there -- like so many of the rest of the "Greatest Generation." He never postured, and he was always completely honest with me and my brother growing up. He's still my hero to this day, and I miss him every day since he died. He's the example I try to imitate in my own life. I only hope that I sometimes actually manage it. Rest in Peace, dad -- you are missed and loved forever.
10/23

1922

Birthday

October 23, 1922

Birthdate

Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio 44683, United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Pure Caucasian. Our ancestors came over from Holland in the 1600s (on both sides, though Mom's ancestors were from Switzerland). His parents and grandparents and great-grandparents all lived in Ohio, in pretty much the same small area, ever since before the Civil War.
Early Life & Education

He went to grade school and High School in Urichsville, Ohio (he met my mother in High School). He went to College at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) graduating with a Bachelors in Education (and later, a Masters in Education).
Professional Career

Served in the US Navy during World War II. Served in the US Army throughout the Cold War. Taught Elementary School in El Paso Texas.
Personal Life & Family

My dad was a great baseball player and in fact played with many pro players during his Navy career (a lot of them were in the Navy too, during the war). He played shortstop on numerous teams all throughout the '40s and '50's and was even written up in local papers from time to time. He was always a huge fan of baseball, right up to the day he died (though he'd be embarrassed as hell over what's been going on this past year or so -- he always said the job of professional sports was to play the best they could and keep their opinions to themselves).
2008

Death

2008

Death date

Old age.

Cause of death

Northeast El Paso. 3800 Edgar Park Ave, in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas 79904, United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Fort Bliss National Cemetery 5200 Fred Wilson Ave, in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas 79906, United States
Burial location
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Did you know?

James Alvin Vandine lived 12 years longer than the average family member when died at the age of 85.

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Did you know?

In 1922, in the year that James Alvin Vandine was born, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. on May 30th. More than 35,000 people attended the dedication including Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, and many Union and Confederate veterans - although the audience was segregated. The Memorial took 10 years to complete.

Did you know?

In 1936, by the time he was only 14 years old, on November 3rd, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was reelected to a second term. He ran against Republican Governor Alf Landon (Kansas), defeating Landon in the popular vote by 60.8% to 36.5%. Vermont and Maine were the only two states in which Landon won. John Nance Garner IV became the Vice-President in this election.

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James Vandine's Family Tree & Friends

James Vandine's Family Tree

Parent

James Alvin Vandine Oct 23, 1922 - 2008

Partner

Child

Sibling

Partnership

Ruth Geraldine (Kinsey) Vandine