Memorial Day 2013: McLean Woman Remembers Her War Veteran Dad

By Suzanne Wheeler Klein 

Memorial Day brings a whole new meaning to me this year.  My father, James Lewis Wheeler, who was a Marine in the battle of Iwo Jima, became a fallen hero one month after Veterans Day.

My father passed away from skin cancer on Nov. 20, 2012. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 17, Feb. 7, 1944. He was in action on the battle of Iwo Jima from Feb. 19 – March 16, 1945 as an artillery observer assigned to the Fifth Amphibious Corps, C Battery, 2nd 155th Howitzer Battalion. I never knew, until I was 30 that he served in a war.

He served twelve of thirty years of service with the CIA in numerous countries overseas in the Far East and in Paris; where he met his bride, M. Patricia Wheeler, of Biddeford, Maine, also with the CIA. They then relocated to Washington, D.C. after their final tour abroad.  During the time of his career with the CIA, he earned two Master of Science degrees from American University and M.I.T.

While at the Agency, Mr. Wheeler was an Elite Senior Intelligence Service officer and received the Intelligence Medal of Merit as well as other commendations. During his overseas assignments, he was involved in many projects like Project Azorian, the Agency’s secret mission to life a sunken Russian submarine from the bottom of the ocean. He also took part in the operation to dig up hundreds of gold coins buried across Germany. U.S. intelligence personnel had placed them there during World War II to aid downed pilots and allied troops evading capture.  He retired as the deputy director of Finance for Liaisons Plans and Systems.

Following his retirement from the CIA, he became instrumental in the inception as vice president at Usatrex International, Inc.; a worldwide security company.

In recent years, my dad and I worked together to place him in the forefront so he could tell the story he never spoke of, and educate the public. Schools, history groups, all local media affiliates, newspapers, he became the voice - often with fellow Iwo Veteran Tom Cox - for many who couldn’t be and he never expected any compensation for his time. His oral history has been recorded for use at the World War II museum in New Orleans, LA and in the Iwo Jima documentary by Freund productions LCC.

His love of his garden his flowers and tomato plants were his pride and joy as were his family. He loved being with friends and family; he was a humble man yet he was proud of his only child and his 3 grandsons. As a former athlete himself, he was a regular spectator - watching the boys play football, varsity lacrosse and varsity hockey at Bishop O’Connell High School. 

Over the past two years, he and another Imo Jima survivor were working to collect a head count of those who served in this conflict. Sadly, the other hero passed away. The greatest generation is leaving us at the rate of 1,000 a day. My father said that he was encouraged by family, inspired by Clint Eastwood’s movie, “Flags of our Fathers,” to begin to speak and educate. Now we, the children are to carry on our heroes’ legacies.  His three grandsons, and myself plan to write a children’s book about Iwo Jima and how over the years, time has healed. Many men left the Island of Mt. Surabachi with Japanese flags - and then returned to the families whose names had been written to the Japanese families. He did have no desire to go back to visit those black sands. I asked which was worse the bloodiest of all time or the battle of the war of cancer. Cancer was the answer.

This Memorial day we honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.  For me, I will take a walk to visit my dad’s resting place at Arlington Cemetery. His 21 gun salute would make have made him proud. We made it possible to have him at home to sadly, leave us. A true hero indeed - and a family mourning our loss.

Semper Fi!