Born and raised in a tiny village in the hills of Pennsylvania, Jim had never seen much of the world. Jim was uncertain of his plans after high school and being the son of a WWII veteran, Jim decided to take a hitch in the U.S. Air Force. Trained as an aircraft mechanic, Jim worked much of his tour in Thailand. One of his jobs was to TDY at Cam Ranh Bay patching up the war wounded aircraft and loading ordinance for ground support sortees.

When Jim returned from Vietnam he was determined not to take life for granted. Returning to Pennsylvania, he married his high school sweetheart, attended college and earned a teaching degree in his favorite subject - history. Jim is very popular with his 8^th grade students and the Mercersburg, Pennsylvania community where he grew up, raised his three children and still lives today.