Editor’s Sideline: A Memorial on Father’s Day

From my office window in downtown McKenzie, I can see the Stars and Stripes flying over a memorial dedicated to veterans who lost their lives in America’s conflicts. This memorial is located in downtown McKenzie. At the flag’s base rests a granite marker engraved with the name James L. Washburn, while across the street, in front of the Park Theatre, stands a marker for Ramona Washburn.

James married Ramona Kemp, and they raised two boys, Jeff and Joel (me). They eloped to Mississippi to get married. She was only 15, and Tennessee law did not permit marriages at that age.

James was a man of deep service—dedicated to his country, his community, and God. He worked tirelessly to provide for his family, achieving much through tenacity and hard work. Despite his formal education ending in the eighth grade, he and Ramona, who completed the eleventh grade, were remarkably accomplished. They were adamant about the value of education, demanding that their sons attend school daily. Both Jeff and I maintained at least 10 years of perfect attendance at McKenzie Schools.

James Loyd Washburn was born on September 5, 1927, in Henderson County, the third son of Vester and Ardell Ross Washburn. He assisted with the family’s farming operations until joining the military in 1945. While he attended school in McKenzie and completed the eighth grade, he left school in the ninth grade to support the family farm—a common practice during that era.

On November 29, 1945, he was inducted into military service at Fort McPherson, Georgia. Following basic training, he served with the 40th TC Squadron, 317th Transportation Group. After being stationed in Yamato, Japan, with the American Occupation Forces at the end of World War II, he transferred to the E Squadron of the 1377th Army Air Force Base Unit at Westover Field in Massachusetts.

He was honorably discharged from the Army at Camp Stoneman, California, on June 29, 1947, having been awarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal (Japan). Upon returning to McKenzie, he joined Company G, 117th Infantry Regiment of the Tennessee National Guard, where he served until January 19, 1951.

The McKenzie Banner’s 156-year history includes 78 years of involvement by the Washburn family. James began his career there in 1948 as a “printer’s devil,” working his way up to become editor, co-owner, publisher and then sole owner. In 1972, he founded and co-owned a printing company in Huntingdon, which produced nine weekly publications.

In 1985, James died from a brain tumor, a condition that may have been linked to radiation exposure during his military service in Japan. Following his death, the company was owned by Ramona, Jeff, and me. The brothers eventually purchased their mother’s shares, and in 2019, Joel and Teresa Washburn purchased the entire company, later selling it to their daughter and son-in-law, Brittany and Jason R. Martin.

Recently, I traveled through Japan with Bethel University’s Global Studies. That fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the country where my father served as part of the occupation forces. He never mentioned anything about his military service. When my mother died, we found a photo album of photos that showed some horrendous destruction and the loss of life. I’m sure he never wanted to recount that experience.

The visit to Japan completed a trifecta of my experiences based on WWII - first the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, where my daughter Brittany and I attended along with the Secretary of the Navy and survivors of the event. Pearl Harbor is where the war began. Secondly, in 2025, my brother, Jeff and I and spouses, traveled to Normandy with Bethel University’s Global Studies, where we visited the American Cemetery and the beaches of Normandy where so many soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen died to free France and Europe from the German occupation.  And finally, Teresa and I visited Japan, where the war ended. When I was in Japan, I took pause upon seeing the Japanese flag, knowing that meant an enemy to him, but, to me in the year 2026, an everlasting respect for the Japanese people for their support of America and their overwhelming kindness.