James B. Richmond,

James B. Richmond, Sr., age 88, died in Biloxi on Saturday, March 29, 2014. He was a native of Picayune, MS, but a lifelong resident of Biloxi, MS. J.B. was born July 10, 1925. He attended Dukate Elementary and Biloxi High School. As an athlete, J.B. lettered two years as a member of the Biloxi High Boxing Team and two years in football. He was an early entrepreneur and as a teen he had a Mobile Press register paper route and when World War II began, he became a distributor and employed as many as fifteen paper carriers until the distributorship became so large the Mobile Press took over as direct distributor. While still in high school he went to work full time at the Buena Vista hotel and at age seventeen became Bell Captain and Superintendent of Service, a job that he held until he graduated in 1943 and was inducted into the Army. James had a distinguished military career in World War II that began in September 1943 and ended in December 1945 when he was discharged at the age of twenty. He was inducted at Camp Shelby, MS, completed infantry training, at Fort McClellan, AL, and graduated from parachute jump, rigging and packing school at Fort Benning, GA. He was immediately shipped to the European Theater and assigned to the newly formed 334th Air Borne Resupply Company of the 1st Allied Airborne Army and placed on TDY with the U.S. 5th Army in Italy just in time to take part in the breakthrough from Anzio and participated in the liberation of Rome. He was then sent to Corsica as part of the 550th and 551st troop carrier wing to take part in the airborne re-supply of the Normandy troops that had taken part in “Operation Overlord” Day on June 6th, 1944. IN mid-July 1944, he was sent to Sicily to join a composite airborne group that would take part in “Operation Dragoon”, the invasion of Southern France by the U.S. 7th Army – serving on TDY with the 3rd and 36th infantry divisions in the march North into Belgium. He then took part in “Operation Market Garden”, the joint British and American effort, using the 2nd largest combined European Parachute operation in order to secure the bridges over a series of canals that led over the Rhine River and into Germany – a mission that failed. When the German counter offensive in the Ardennes began, which became known as the “Battle of the Bulge”, the 334th was immediately dispatched to assist the airborne re-supply to the U.S. Troops surrounded at Bastogne. The 334th returned to the 3rd and 7th armies to re-supply troops at the Colmar Pocket and Hertigen Forest Battles. In March 1945, he participated in “Operation Plunder”, which consisted of two U.S. Airborne divisions that were dropped across the Rhine River into Germany to escalate the occupation of all of Germany. After V E Day while stationed in Chartres, France, he was awarded the “Soldiers Medal” for heroism for assisting in extinguishing a fire that erupted in underground ammunition storage. The 334th was then disbanded and he was assigned to Shaef Headquarters in Paris, France and upon discharge there, worked as a U.S. civilian as a billeting officer until he returned home in June 1946. In addition to the “Soldiers Medal” his other decorations included the Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Victory Medical, Parachute Wings with three bronze stars, and Campaign Service Medals for European – African – Middle East, Rome-Arno, Central Europe and Rhineland Theaters. An additional medal was received from the French Government at the 50th Anniversary Ceremonies for participating in Normandy. After returning home he entered Soule’ Business School at New Orleans and while there was recruited into a manager training program by the B.F. Goodrich Company. He managed stores in Biloxi and Shreveport and resigned after serving as Retail Sales and Training Manager for all B.F. Goodrich stores in Mississippi, Louisiana and South Alabama. While with the B.F. Goodrich Company, he developed Cover Place, a water front subdivision in Ocean Springs and also acquired a Texaco Service Station on Central Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, which he converted to Royal Tire and Appliance, later opening a 2nd store in Pascagoula which he eventually sold. He then joined with a group of Biloxi business men in founding the Jefferson Davis Life Insurance Company which later merged with American Life. He then became a part of Sun Glo Packers of Biloxi and helped found the self-serve drive chains known as Frosty inn and Big R, which later merged with a group that owned Triple XXX Root Beer, Wright Root Beer Bottling Company and Dairy Queens of LA, all of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After the sale of this mini conglomerate, he joined Johnston of Dallas, Inc., a manufacturer of exquisite children’s clothing as a corporate salesman working in the Dallas and New York Showrooms to work with major accounts such as Niemen Marcus, Marshall Fields, Saks, etc. He opened a show room in Atlanta and continued to represent Johnston and over a twenty five year period represented many other major firms. During this period, he served on the board and as an officer of regional and national sales organizations that presented him with citations for his valuable work and participation. He purchased the northeast corner of the intersection of Oak Street and Highway 90 in Biloxi and owned and operated Fas Fil, Inc. It was the first convenience store to have self-service gas by having an ordinance rescinded that prohibited self-service. He then helped found and served as President of the Point Cadet Civic Action Association which carried out a program for the betterment and economic development of Point Cadet. The association supported and worked to obtain legal gaming in Mississippi. He later sold his beach front property to Grand Casinos who built the Bay View Hotel thereon. After a short retirement, he purchased Coastal Systems, a manufacturer of fiberglass wicker furniture and opened in Ocean Springs as Patio and Deck Furniture. His next major project was the research of the World War II Westergard Boatworks of Biloxi, Inc. This resulted in the printing of a highly acclaimed, historical, pictorical, narrative, titled World War II Combat Wooden Boats built at Westergard Boat Works of Biloxi, Inc. In lieu of flowers the family prefers donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 417 Security Square, Gulfport, MS 39507, in memory of Mr. Richmond’s son, Wayne O. Richmond.The family would also like to express great appreciation to the Biloxi V.A. Center, the Biloxi Community Living Center, Biloxi Regional Hospital and all of the doctors and staff for the excellent care given to Mr. Richmond. Mr. Richmond was pre-deceased by his father, Homer Richmond; his mother, Anna Florence Radavich Richmond; his son, Wayne O. Richmond; and a brother, Homer R. Richmond. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Davis Richmond; sons, , James B. Richmond, Jr. and Jon D. (Lynn) Richmond; daughter, Rhonda (David) Richmond Parker; daughter-in-law, Donna Richmond; step-sons, Gerald Davis and Terrell Davis; and grandchildren, Briley Richmond, III, Dylan Richmond, Sean Kinnanney, Lindsey Richmond, Randall (Katie) Richmond, Jeremy (Kelly) Richmond; step grandchildren, Jessica and Brittany Davis; great-grandchildren, James Briley Richmond, IV, Caden James Kinnanney, Lucy, Finn, and Lilly. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 am at the Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home on Friday, April 4, 2014. A graveside service will take place at Biloxi National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.