James Brisbin Skiles was born April 4,1921 in Peterson, Adams, Indiana. He was an only child. He was the proud son of Mr. Ellis Skiles and Mrs. Mabel Beery. He attended high school at Decatur High School, where he was there for his freshman and sophomore year, while he was in Decatur he decided to join the "ROAR" club ( club to support student athletes) his sophomore year. He then moved to Kirkland High School for his Junior and Senior year graduating in 1939. Before enlisting he was a meat cutter. He enlisted in the army on July 1, 1942 in Toledo, Ohio.Upon enlistment, James was 155 lbs. and 69in. He was assigned to the 319th Infantry Regiment 80th Infantry Division ("Blue Ridge") and trained at Camp Forest, Tennessee; specialized training at camp Phillis, Kansas; Yuma, Arizona; and Fort Dix, New Jersey. He would achieve the rank of Technical Sergeant, James died on November 1, 1944 due to wounds received two days later during war of the fields of France. He was 23 years old. Before being killed, he sent off a letter to his wife that stated everything is fine. He was officially reported dead on November 6, 1944 in newspapers in our area. He is buried at plot c, row 12 grave 52, Lorraine American cemetery, St. Avold, France. For his service, SGT. Skiles would earn the WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Purple Heart for injuries causing death in combat. Information researched and collected by Thomas McNamara, 2014.
Indiana Historical Bureau, comp. Gold Star Honor Roll: Adams County. Bloomington: Indiana War History Commission, 1949. Print. Vol. 1 of Indiana in World War II.
Ravelings yearbook staff, ed.ravelings yearbook.decatur Indiana: Decatur high school, 1937. Print.
Ravelings Yearbook Staff, ed. Ravelings Yearbook. Decatur, IN: Decatur High School, 1936Print.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mpearce&id=I15319.
http://wwii-army.findthebest.com/l/5858509/James-B-Skiles
http://www.americanbattlegraves.com/index.php?page=directory&rec=676