James D. Catington – Colonel, United States Air Force

From a contemporary press report: May 26, 1995

Retired Air Force Colonel James D. Catington, 75, retired chief of staff, 9th Air Force with Shaw Air Force Base, died Thursday in a local hospital. memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday in Trinity United Methodist Church. Burial, directed by Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home, will be in Arlington National Cemetery with military honors.

Colonel Catington was born in Savage, Maryland, a son of Clarence W. Catington and Birdie G. Catington.

He was a graduate of Western Maryland College in Westminister, Md., and served at Pope Air Force Base, Langley Field and De Ridder, Louisiana. He served as Operations Officer, Joint Task Force in the Pacific, Commander of 91st Fighter Group in Hawaii and as Operations Officer in Albany, Georgia, Air Command and Staff College, Foster Air Force Base, Texas and Korea. He served as Deputy for Plans of the 7th Air Force, Vietnam, planned and participated in the Lebanese Crises, was Chief of the Air Offense Division at Tactical Air Command Operations, Officer at Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Europe and Base Commander at Cigli Air Base in Turkey. He was executive director of the United Way and general manager with Jones Chevrolet Co.

He received the Legion of Merit and First Oak Leaf Cluster to the Legion of Merit, World War II Victory, American Campaign, National Defense Service, Pacific Campaign, American Defense Service, United Nations Service, Korean Service with one Bronze Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary and the Vietnam Service medals. He served as president of the Air Force Association and Retired Officers Association, as state president of the Air Force Association and is a life member of the Air Force Association. He received the Medal of Merit, and member of the year award, and is a member of the Daedalians. He was married to the late Martha Braswell Catington.

Surviving are his wife, Willie Spence Catington; two daughters, Michelle Porter of Rising Sun, Md., and Patricia Bynum of Columbia; two sons, Maj. Richard Catington of Springfield, Va., and Scott Catington of Winnsboro; two stepsons, Marvin Bailey and Daniel Morgan, both of Texas; and six grandchildren.

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