Liberty Wing thanks former reservist for service on 90th birthday

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Often referred to as the Greatest Generation, this group of World War II veterans and heroes would most likely state they were not great, but they were only doing what any good American would do when their country called. 

One daughter of that generation, Karen Kissane of Venice, Fla., wanted her father to know how exceptional his life and service were to the nation, so she approached the 512th Airlift Wing about recognizing him on the occasion of his 90th birthday. 

Lt. Col. James Methven, a retired 512th AW reservist, joined the U.S. Army Air Corp in 1942 during World War II, transferred to the Reserve in 1947 and retired from the Liberty Wing during the Vietnam Conflict in 1977. 

"I wanted to recognize my father's service and make it known that his accomplishments were appreciated and valued," said Ms. Kissane. "Like everybody else who has served their country, he deserved to be thanked for his years of service." 

Upon hearing this, Col. Randal L. Bright, 512th AW commander, and Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, wrote the retired lieutenant colonel a letter. 

"Our United States Air Force is much better off for having folks, such as yourself ... ," wrote Colonel Bright. "On the occasion of your 90th birthday, I extend to you the warmest birthday greetings and a heartfelt thank you for your service." 

Colonel Methven said he was touched by the letters, and it was an unexpected, nice surprise. The colonel is one of 16.5 million Americans who served in World War II and is among the 15 percent of those veterans who are still sharing their stories. 

He was born in New Brunswick, N.J., Feb. 25, 1918, the year the First World War ended. Twenty-three years later, the U.S. entered World War II. 

Knowing his draft number was coming up, the 24-year-old joined the U.S. Army Air Corp in 1942 and went to pilot training at Grider Field, near Pine Bluff, Ark., and received his pilot's wings at Aloe Field, near Victoria, Texas, in 1943. 

"I knew how to fly already," said Colonel Methven, who grew up in Ridley Park, Pa., a small town south of the Philadelphia International Airport. 

His classmate's father insisted he learn how to fly a seaplane, a fixed-wing aircraft designed to take off and land on water. By age 22, the colonel had earned his private pilot's license; and, two years later he received a mechanical engineering degree from Temple University. 

He spent the early war years at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, as an instructor and trainer for test and combat pilots. 

"Luckily, I didn't lose any students," he said. "But, I did plow up a few acres of a Texas field once during an AT-11 emergency landing." 

In 1944, he was assigned to the 5th Air Force Combat Cargo Squadron, which was engaged in operations against the Japanese in the Southwest Pacific area. 

"We flew out of New Guinea, worked our way up into the Philippines and Japan," he recalled. "We came back out of Japan during Christmas of 1946, which was a very good Christmas to be heading home." 

This was more than a year after the Japanese surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945. 

He returned to the states, along with his two brothers who served in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard during World War II. He finished his active-duty service in Smyrna, Tenn., where he continued to train pilots after the war. In 1947, he moved back to Pennsylvania and transferred to the Air Force Reserve, drilling at Pennsylvania Military College in Chester, Pa. Once the Korean conflict began in 1950, the lieutenant colonel joined the 512th AW, which was then located in New Castle, Del. He saw the wing's transition to Dover AFB, Del., in July 1973, when the wing became an associate unit and began flying the C-5A Galaxy. 

"At one time, Dover Air Force Base was bigger than the city of Dover," he said. "There were 24,000 people in Dover and 26,000 people on base." 

Today 8,000 people live and reside on base here and 32,000 people live in the city.
He also recollected some of the logistical issues with the C-5. 

"When the C-5 came to Dover, it wouldn't fit in any of the hangars," he said. "None of the hangars were large enough." 

That issue has long been resolved, and now the base is making way for its newest aircraft, the C-17 Globemaster III. 

During his 36-year-career, he flew everything from the L-5 to the C-5, he said, which amounted to more than 37 different aircraft, an amazing feat considering the C-17 is the newest aircraft at Dover AFB in 35 years. 

Although he finished out his Air Force career in the Reserve, he did see active service again in the Korean War and Vietnam Conflict, serving as an instructor pilot and a line engineer for aircraft maintenance. Before he retired from the Liberty Wing in 1977, he served alongside his son, James Methven III, who was also a Liberty Wing member. 

However, Colonel Methven's service didn't stop with the Air Force. He also worked on several projects for the U.S. Navy in the civilian sector. Throughout his civilian career, he worked on several design and engineering efforts for the Navy which ranged from aircraft nose-tow, ejections seats to recovery and launch gear. When he retired as a civilian in 1982, he was the chief engineer and senior vice-president of a consulting engineer firm in Philadelphia. Upon his retirement, he moved to Venice, Fla. 

Now 26 years into his retirement, the 90 year-old is a very active Floridian, said his daughter. 

As for his war buddies and Reserve friends, Colonel Methven said he's sad to say he is the only one left. World War II veterans are dying at a rate of as many as 1,500 every day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2022, the VA estimates that only 115,000 WW II veterans will remain. 

However, thanks to the love and dedication of his daughter, Ms. Kissane ensured the Air Force Reserve received an opportunity to thank one of America's greatest. 

Our family will be forever grateful for the willingness of officers such as General Bradley and Colonel Bright who took the time to thank and old fly boy who was so very touched to receive not one but two letters, extending the gratitude of the U.S. Air Force and Reserve, she said.