James Butler Bonham, Colonel, United States Army

James Butler Bonham
Colonel, United States Army

James Butler Bonham, 85, an Army Colonel who retired in 1970 and then served 10 years as Controller and then Deputy Director of Army Emergency Relief, died August 10, 2003, after a heart attack at the Virginian retirement residence in Fairfax, Virginia, where he lived.

Colonel Bonham served 30 years in the Army, including duty in the Pacific during World War II. Later postings included Vietnam during the 1950s and Korea, and several assignments in the United States. His specialties included finance.

He was born in Chattanooga and had lived in the Washington area on and off since the mid-1930s. He graduated from Western High School and in 1940 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

His decorations included the Silver Star and two awards of the Bronze Star.

He was a former vestryman at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Annandale.

His marriage to Margaret Chambers ended in divorce. His second wife, Susan Haislip Bonham, died in 1980. His third wife, Roberta Truluck, died in 1999.

Survivors include two children from his second marriage, Sally Bonham Mohle of Fairfax and Jay Bonham of Forest Park, Georgia.

BONHAM, JAMES B
COL US ARMY
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
DATE OF BIRTH: 02/24/1918
DATE OF DEATH: 08/10/2003
DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/24/2003
BURIED AT: SECTION 8 SITE 7014

Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson

Posted: 24 September 2006 Updated: 1 February 2008 Updated: 21 February 2011