It was an honor and a privilege to interview this great American hero, who insisted I call him Jim. I respected his wish to be called his given name, but since he was my instructor when I was a high school freshman in Air Force Jr. Reserve Officer Training Corp, I have always thought of him as Colonel Harding. Much respect sir.
Colonel Harding is the 25th most decorated hero in military history. His achievements and awards resulted in him being ranked higher on the list of military heroes that General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., who led all coalition forces in the Gulf War. Let that sink in for a minute.
Colonel James C. Harding entered the Air Force in 1956 as a distinguished graduate of the Penn State University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program where he was also the cadet division commander and selected as the outstanding Air Force ROTC cadet. His military career covered a variety of flying assignments as well as command positions. He served as squadron commander for a 400-person unit at Lackland AFB and as an A-1 combat squadron commander at Nakon Phenom, Thailand in Southeast Asia.
He is a command pilot with nearly 5,000 hours of military single-engine flying time, and a master parachutist with 69 jumps. Colonel Harding was shot down by a SA-7 Surface-To-Air Missile (SAM) while directing a rescue mission in Vietnam in 1972. United States Army helicopters rescued him after he successfully evaded North Vietnamese troops. While on the ground, Colonel Harding used his survival radio to direct the rescue of his wingman, who had also been shot down on the same rescue mission.
Upon retiring from active duty on July 31, 1979, Colonel Harding entered general aviation at Nueces County Airport, Robstown, Texas. In 1980, he turned his focus to the Air Force Junior ROTC program where he was instrumental in organizing and implementing programs in the continental United States as well as at Department of Defense schools overseas. He had two short breaks from the Junior ROTC program from 1985 to 1987 and 1990 to 1992 when he worked as an advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force and developed a professional education program for Saudi Air Force officers. Colonel Harding retired from the Air Force Junior ROTC program in 1998 to take up citrus tree farming in Bayview, TX. He sold his Texas tree farm and started another tree farm in Huntingdon, TN in 2001. He also continued teaching as a substitute in Carroll County. He retired from teaching in 2009 to devote full attention to his family tree farm. He is a lifetime member of 20 national service organizations.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
- Air Force Cross
- Silver Star with 2 oak leaf clusters
- Legion of Merit with 1 oak leaf cluster
- Distinguished Flying Cross with 8 oak leaf clusters
- Bronze Star with combat V and 1 oak leaf cluster
- Purple Heart with 3 oak leaf clusters
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Air Medal with 39 oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
- Presidential Unit Citation with 4 oak leaf clusters
- USAF Outstanding Unit Award with combat V and 4 oak leaf clusters
- Combat Readiness Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal with 8 bronze service stars
- Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star
- Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
- Royal Thai Supreme Command Forward Badge 1st Class
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
- 1956 – Distinguished Military Graduate and outstanding Air Force ROTC cadet at Penn State University
- 1957 – Air Training Command Outstanding Instructor, Moody AFB, GA
- 1967 – Air Command and Staff College Distinguished Graduate
- 1968 – Air Force nominee in the Junior Chamber of Commerce Ten Most Outstanding Young Men of the Year competition
- 1969 – Air Force Outstanding Junior Officer
- 1977 – Class president and Distinguished Graduate, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 1983 – Windward Oahu Rotarian of the Year and awarded a Paul Harris Fellow
- 1987/8 – Air Force Junior ROTC Outstanding Instructor in Europe
- 1988/9 – Air Force Junior ROTC Outstanding Instructor in Europe
- 1995/8 – Air Force Junior ROTC Outstanding Instructor, Aviano AB Italy
- 1998 – Air Force Association Citation for outstanding achievement
- Air Force Junior ROTC units GR-821 and TX-41 were honor units during his tours as commandant
- Air Force Junior ROTC unit IT-951 was cited as a model AFJROTC unit
- Federal Aviation Agency Certified Flight Instructor, instrument; single and multiengine aircraft
- 2016 Became an ordained pastor
- 2017 Tennessee Baptist Ambassador for Christ Eagle Award
- 2017 Honorary Captain for Penn State Veteran Appreciation Game
- 2018 Inducted into the Pennsylvania Veteran’s Hall of Valor
- 2020 Inducted into the Brookville Area High School Hall of Fame
- 2021 Special day of recognition by Tennessee Governor, Senate and House and County and City Mayors
Full Episode
Sources:
- http://www.veterantributes.org/Top20MostDecorated.htm
- http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.asp?ID=424
