James Morris (USAF (Ret.) MSgt.) Brantley

 James Morris Brantley (USAF Retired Master Sergeant) at age 77 passed away on the evening of November 19, 2020 at Soin Medical Hospital in Green County, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his two sons, Charles Thomas Brantley and Richard Erwin Brantley and his daughter-in-law, Melissa Michelle Williams Brantley. He is survived by his wife, Silveriana Canonago Sayaang Brantley, son, James S. & Michelle Feagin Brantley of Fort Worth, Texas, his sister Barbara Brantley Onan of Pleasureville, Kentucky and the grandchildren Sarah, Jennifer, Chloe,

Savannah, and Trevor. James was born September 11, 1943 in Sturgis, Union County, Kentucky to Morris Alonzo and Pearl Ritchie Brantley.

He served in the U.S. Air Force for over 20 years. His first assigned duty station was Clark Air Force Base Angeles City, Philippines where he meet this young Filipino woman working in a grocery store to which would turn out be the love of life. For the first half of his military career spent ten years in the Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos campaign he was a crew chief on the C-130 Gunships/Transport plane transporting supplies to troops, picking up the dead and wounded and covering ground fire. While serving in Asian Theater, he survived several fiery plane crashes. On one of the plane crashes that him and his crew were able to walk away from they were picked up by an Army transport unit in which they were ambushed by enemy fire, killing his commander and wounding him. On the air battle in which the two other planes were shot down. His plane was the only one to survive. In later half of his twenty years, he was assigned to Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado for Avionic Training, then Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton Ohio. Where he was an Avionics Engineer, he commented in a message to his sister “I was in the Avionics Laboratory and called myself Chief Scientist for the Suspended Aerosol measurement. It was sort of a tongue in cheek, unofficial title that I use, but described what I did.” Toward the end of military career, his last four years he took up an assignment to Arnold Air Force Base Tullahoma, Tennessee, after that he retired and moved his family back to Ohio. He received a number distinguishing medals to name a few; The Silver Star, Purple Heart and Vietnam Gallantry Cross. After he retired from the Air Force, he had taken a up a career in being a Quality Control Contract Engineer for Pratt & Whitney and Meyer Tools, he really enjoyed doing that job considering he would drive five days a week from Dayton to Erlanger Kentucky . He always had something funny to say, whether it was his puns, sarcasm comments or jokes he was always so enjoyable to be around! Jim was an Outstanding Dedicated Airman to the Air Force, Wonderful husband to his Wife, and Loving father to three boys. He will be greatly missed!

A funeral service with military honors will be held on Saturday November 28, 2020 at 2:00 P.M. at the Belton-Stroup Funeral Home, 422 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd., Fairborn, Sarah Lewis officiating.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 P.M. until the time of service.

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