Lt. Colonel James James F. Link, USAF (Ret.)

Lt. Colonel James F. Link, USAF (Ret.), passed away on September 21, 2024, at the age of 94. Born in Dyersville, Iowa, Jim attended St. Francis Xavier schools. After high school, he spent a year at Bulls Prep School before being appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1948, where he was the director of the Glee Club and the Catholic Choir. Jim graduated as part of the 24th Company, Class of 1952. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and married Peggy Naomi Washington three days later.

Jim began his military career in primary pilot training at Greenville Air Force Base in Mississippi. His assignments included flying transport aircraft at various bases, including those in Saudi Arabia and England. He later earned a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

During his service with the Air Force, Jim’s roles varied, particularly within the Research and Development Command. In Vietnam, he served as a Forward Air Controller flying O-1 and O-2 aircraft during which he completed 139 combat missions. For his bravery, Jim earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, and five Air Medals. In 1969, he was appointed Assistant Air Attaché to Japan. Upon his return to the U.S. in 1973, Jim became Director of a Foreign Intelligence Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he retired from the Air Force in 1974.

Jim’s post-military career saw him thrive in the aerospace industry. He worked with Systems Research Labs in Dayton, OH, and Pacer Systems in Boston before joining Lockheed Corporation. At Lockheed, he served as Special Assistant to Lockheed Air Services and later became Vice President of Lockheed Aircraft Asia in Tokyo. After five years serving in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, Jim was appointed President of Lockheed Canada. He retired from the aerospace industry in 1989, first moving to Denver, CO, and later settling in Destin, FL.

In Destin, Jim was an active member of the community, serving on various government committees for over 12 years. He was passionate about flying, piloting his own aircraft for 22 years during his civilian life, and enjoyed weekly golf games with his Naval Academy classmates.

Jim was predeceased by his parents, Andrew and Dorothy Link, his brother Steve, and his sister Carol. He is survived by his brother Alan Link of Omaha, NE, and his sister Judy Hills of Fort Myers, FL. Jim is also survived by his wife of 72 years, Peggy, and their five children: Mike and his wife Nancy Link of Greenville, SC; Patricia Cruz of Scottsdale, AZ; Janice and her husband Kevin Niehaus of Franklin, NC; Jeffrey and his wife Peggy Link of Denver, CO; and Nancy Hartwell of Wichita, KS. Jim and Peggy have ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.