James Blaylock - U.S. Marine Corps 1963-68

From 1963 to 1968, Jim served in the United States Marine Corps. As a rotary wing aviator in Vietnam, Jim received three Purple Hearts and lost his right hand and forearm. Jim recalls being tossed in a body bag after being mistaken for dead, “it was getting a bit warm and stuffy but it wasn’t long before we reached the mortuary and I was put on the cooler tray. When they opened the door and it was my time for the embalming the mortician had just made his incision and I bled a little, that was unusual and so he began to check my vital signs then they were able to get a slight pulse”
After his military service, Jim began a career working for the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a program that provides assistance and training for veterans who need external devices to improve function and increase independence in daily activities.
Jim grew up on a farm in Albany, Ga., in a family of nine children — three of whom are veterans. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Albany State University, and a master’s degree in business management from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Jim and his wife, Willa, are the proud parents of their daughter, Heidi, who served as a Navy nurse, in theatre during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jim is currently president of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, where he presides over board and executive committee meetings and speaks on behalf of veterans issues.

To learn more about the Military Order of the Purple Heart visit https://purpleheartfoundation.org