James "Jim" E. Kelly, NAVY

Jim Kelly
Navy
Vietnam 1962 - 1967

Jim Kelly graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, NE in June 1962 and was accepted to the Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. He received his commission in December 1962 as an Ensign. In January 1963, Jim entered Flight School in Pensacola, Florida and in July 1963 was assigned to the Naval Base in Brunswick, Georgia. In October 1963, he was assigned to the Naval Air Station - Squadron VAW-11 in Coronado, California as a Naval Flight Officer for the new Radar Surveillance Plane E-2A Hawkeye. He was deployed in December 1965 on the aircraft carrier Ranger to the Gulf of Tonkin to direct strikes over North Vietnam. This was the first deployment for the E-2A Hawkeye.

In October 1967, he was Honorably discharged as a Lieutenant. He received the Air Medal and Navy Commendation Medal form the Secretary of the Navy, Fred Korth.