Individual Details
Maj. James Ellis "Jay" PRATHER Jr., USMC (Ret.)
(5 Sep 1929 - 8 Oct 2018)
While finishing his Masters in Fishery Science at Texas A&M he was recruited by Jasques Cousteau to fly the helicopter for the famed ship Calypso in the Caribbean. He also flew scouting missions for fishing vessels off Ivory Coast, Africa. He flew Chopper 5 for Channel 5 news, Air Med for local hospitals, in addition to many other ventures such as airlifting skiers to the tops of mountains.
Events
| Birth | 5 Sep 1929 | Altus, Jackson Co., OK |  | ||
| Census | 1940 | Dallas, Dallas Co., TX | | ||
| Military | 1950 - 1970 | Maj., U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) | | ||
| Marriage | Bef 1970 | Living | |||
| Marriage | Jun 1985 | Living | | ||
| Death | 8 Oct 2018 | | |||
| Obituary | Ca 9 Oct 2018 | memorial from Walker Funeral Home | |||
| Burial | 13 Oct 2018 | Corinth Cemetery, Grand Saline, Van Zandt Co., TX | |  | |
| Degree | MS in Fishery Science - Texas A&M University |
Families
| Spouse | Living |
| Spouse | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Father | James Ellis PRATHER (1903 - 1994) |
| Mother | Madelene BRADBURN (1903 - 1940) |
| Sibling | Shirley Ann PRATHER (1935 - 2000) |
Notes
Birth
From obituary; United States Public Records, 1970-2009 (FamilySearch).Census
Age 10Military
He trained as a pilot in a Grummund Hellcat fighter and after completing aircraft carrier training was commissioned as an officer in 1952. He then trained as a jet night-fighter pilot and was sent to Korea where he spent 13 months flying combat patrols. Between 1953 and 1963 he was assigned 2 as a flight instructor at the Naval Air Flight Training Command in Pensacola Florida and then learned to fly helicopters in preparation for military action in Vietnam. In the 1960’s he was sent to Vietnam as a civilian “advisor” on his first tour of duty and flew with the HMM-163 “Ridge Runners”, providing air support to military operations on the ground throughout Vietnam. He then served in the Pentagon before being sent back to Vietnam for a second time as part of the HMM-165 “White Knights”. During his military service he also served in the HMX-1 Squadron as a Presidential Helicopter Pilot for the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations and retired in 1970.Marriage
From husband's obituary.Death
From obituary.Burial
From obituary.Endnotes
1. From: Find-A-Grave -- https://www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13518635/james_e-prather#source.