James Bodenhamer

CPT James (Jim) Bodenhamer entered military service in June, 1968 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point and commissioning as an Artillery Officer. Following Air Defense Officers’ Basic Course at Ft. Bliss, Texas, Jim was assigned as a Radar Platoon Leader in C Battery, 5-1 ADA Group (Nike Hercules) in Malibu California. He was next assigned as XO, B Battery, 5-1 ADA in Chattsworth California. Shortly after arriving at his first assignment in California, the Artillery Branch split into two branches and since he was currently in an Air Defense Artillery assignment, ADA would be his official branch. In late 1969, he was notified of deployment to Vietnam as a Duster battery commander. He was first sent to Ft. Bliss, Texas for Duster training, then his unit deployed to Vietnam to the Saigon/Long Binh/Duster Compound in III Corps area. During his year deployed there, Jim lead Duster Convoy escort missions to and from Cambodia to return captured materiel from operations there as well as served in the 1st Infantry Division HQ BN on Long Binh as a BN S2, and BN S3 Battle Captain. On completion of his year in Vietnam, Jim was directly assigned as the Battery Commander of C Battery, 2-1 ADA (Nike Hercules), in Quirnheim West Germany from June 1971 to June 1973.
Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from West Point and a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Missouri, Kansas City, and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Kansas. His military education includes the Air Defense Officers Basic Course, Nike Hercules Course, Electronic Warfare Course, and Air Defense Artillery Auto Weapons Course (Vietnam Duster Operations).
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal w/DVC.