As Veterans Day approaches, Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury (RWC), 132 Lancaster Drive, Irvington, prepares to honor its military veterans through the annual Veterans Wall of Honor exhibit, where stories and photographs of those who served will be displayed in the RWC Gallery Hall.
Among the featured veterans is RWC resident Col. James “Ed” Townes, who, at age 104, continues to inspire the community, reported marketing manager Lauren White.
Born on July 18, 1922, and raised in Richmond, Col. Townes earned his bachelor’s from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI), now Virginia Tech. He also graduated from the Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the National Defense University.
Col. Townes devoted 36 years of his life to the U.S. Army, serving in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War in armored and mechanized infantry. He retired in 1978 with the rank of full colonel and remains a life member of the Military Officers Association of America.
He didn’t originally plan on a military career, and to serve in three wars; instead, he planned to go into the banking business with his father. “When I went to VPI, I studied business administration, business law and all the stuff that goes with that, but I was in the Corps of Cadets, class of 1944,” he said.
When his corps graduated, he was commissioned initially in the artillery, then quickly transferred to infantry due to so many losses in Europe of infantry lieutenants. “It wasn’t until I had several years of active duty that I committed to a career in the military,” said Col. Townes.
He has vivid memories of his experiences. “I remember joining the 10th Mountain Division in Italy and doing the operations in Italy. I was wounded and evacuated. I was the only surviving lieutenant in my company,” he said. As a young officer, everything was a challenge, he said…..
