James Spires

LINCOLNSHIRE — James Whitney Spires, 78, decorated career Army officer and successful businessman, passed away on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, from Parkinson's disease, at his home in Lincolnshire, Ill., in the loving presence of family members and caregivers.

The only child of Whitt and Lillian Spires, James was born in Augusta, Ark., in 1933. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1956. He joined the Infantry, trained as a Paratrooper and a Ranger, then received his first overseas posting to occupied Berlin. While stationed in that divided city, Spires served a memorable term as an exchange officer with the fabled Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was also part of the American contingent that guarded convicted, high-ranking German war criminals at Spandau Prison.

He returned to the United States in 1959, assigned to the elite ceremonial unit of the  Army known as The Old Guard, which conducts military burials at Arlington National Cemetery and maintains the constant, measured, ritual watch at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Beginning in 1960, Spires also served as a White House Social Aide during the final year of the Eisenhower administration and the first two years of the Kennedy presidency. Because of his strong voice and facility with foreign languages, he was selected to announce the arrival of diplomats, royalty and other notables at state dinners and other important events.

He married Manlius native Jeanette Elizabeth Berry in 1962. Their first real home was in New Delhi, where James worked with an American military mission that advised the Indian army on mountain warfare techniques in the contested region near the Chinese border. Their first child, Scott, was born in New Delhi in 1964.

The family returned to the United States in 1965. But by the time his daughter, Ann, was born that October, he had already been deployed to the war zone in Vietnam with the historic 7th Cavalry Regiment. He fought in the Battle of Ia Drang Valley — the first direct confrontation between American ground troops and the North Vietnamese Army, which marked a turning point in the escalation of the war. At one crucial moment, he went out alone at night to a small clearing under hostile fire, equipped only with a flashlight, to guide in several helicopters so that wounded soldiers could be evacuated. He received many decorations, including the Bronze Star for Valor.

Three years in Buenos Aires as a lecturer and advisor to the Argentine military, a second tour in Vietnam, and assignments at several Army bases in the United States rounded out a life of service to his country. Spires retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1976. The family then moved to the suburbs of Chicago, where his daughter, Laura, was born. He studied economics at the University of Chicago and formed his own company, Whitney International, working as a business consultant until his retirement in 2004.

James Spires loved words in general and languages in particular. He read voraciously, and his range of knowledge seemed to be nearly universal. He enjoyed classic American literature, wrote short stories, cherished animals and made a family rule: "Never disappoint the dog."  The other important family rule was, "There is always money for books."  He had a knack for turning meal times into informal seminars on politics, economics or history, and gave his children reading assignments well into their adulthood. He also relished traveling to fascinating locales around the world, where he could immerse himself in other languages and cultures — invariably returning with insights and stories to share with those around him. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends, all of whom admired his keen intellect, quick wit, genial demeanor and kindness.

James Whitney Spires is survived by his wife, Jeanette Elizabeth; daughter Dr. Ann Bradley Spires and her husband Gary Covino of Haverhill, Mass.; son Scott Whitney Spires and his wife Olga Uspenskaya and her son, Victor Kononenko of Moscow, Russia; daughter Laura Elizabeth (Spires) Freeburn and her husband Ryan Freeburn of Barry's Bay, Ontario, Canada; and his three granddaughters, Clare, Cecilia and Jane Freeburn.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service in the Lake Forest, Ill., area on a date to be announced. Burial will then follow at Arlington National Cemetery, also on a date to be announced. Memorial donations may be made to The Kithasyu Library Fund, which supports the operations of a community library founded by Ann Spires in a small village in rural Kenya.

The Wenban Funeral Home (www.wenbanfh), Lake Forest, in charge of arrangements.