James Queen

James Leonard "Pete" Queen, age 87, a native North Carolinian and lifelong resident of Haywood County died peacefully on October 22, 2007, at Haywood Regional Medical Center surrounded by his family. He was born on August 20, 1920, the eldest son of the late James Rufus and Savannah Augusta Jones Queen. He was preceded in death by his brother, Howard Queen. James was a graduate of Canton High School. Prior to and after WWII, he worked for Champion Paper. He retired from the mill after 42 years of service. James enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in Raleigh, NC on December 13, 1941 and served until January 13, 1946 with the rank of corporal. After basic training at Paris Island and Beaufort, South Carolina, he was assigned to Quantico, Virginia where he achieved rifle and pistol expert qualification and special qualification of rifle marksmanship instructor. These qualifications placed James in the capacity of small arms instructor for the training of Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and midshipmen from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. James was called for sea and foreign service in the Pacific, European, and African theaters. He served on the USS General H. W. Butner from December 1943 to April 1944 with operations in North Africa. His Pacific theater service was with the 6th Marine Division Expeditionary Force where he participated in combat operations on Okinawa, Ryuku Islands with the 3rd Battalion 4th Squadron, from May 1945 until July 8, 1945. He then continued with the occupation force of Tokyo Bay where he was a member of Task Force Thirty-One which was tasked for the initial landing and occupation of the Tokyo Bay Area and the capture of the HIJMS Battleship Nagato which symbolized the unconditional and complete surrender of the Japanese Navy on August 30, 1945. Pete was proud that his personal Task Force Certificate was requested for the National Archives in Maryland. Pete is survived by his wife of 38 years, Georgia Corene Rogers Queen; his sister, Sue Hall; daughter, Edith Ann West; two sons, James Clinton Queen and his wife, Beth, and Michael Coleman Queen and his wife, Kim; three grandsons, four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A graveside military service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 29, at the US Marine National Cemetery in Quantico, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Haywood Regional Medical Center Hospice, 560 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721 or to the Haywood County Rescue Squad, P. O. Box 1275, Canton, NC 28716

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