OPINION: Chris Kelly Opinion: A soldier's story

May 28—On Memorial Day 1956, newspapers across America carried the story of U.S. Marine Cpl. Roland James.

Associated Press reporter Relman Morin picked James to represent a "typical American serviceman" who made the ultimate sacrifice in war. Of all the fallen from the Revolution to the Korean War, The Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent chose a small-town kid who signed up to help save the world.

His story, which appeared on the front page of The Scranton Tribune, began:

On a gentle slope in the mountains, one valley away from the white house where he grew up, lies the grave of Cpl. Roland James.

Who was Roland James? He was a young American. He was the kid with the catcher's mitt, the boy down the street in every town in America...

Today, the people who loved Roland James, and some who never knew him, will gather beside his grave with fresh flowers and a bright new flag. And in honoring his memory, they will be honoring all the Americans who died in all the wars this nation has known..."

Cpl. Roland James was killed in combat on June 24, 1944, on the Pacific island of Saipan. He was 24, raised in Chinchilla and laid to rest in the soldiers' section of Shady Lane Cemetery in South Abington Twp.

I'm able to share Roland James' story because Carol Wilkerson dug it up.

"It was the coolest thing that we stumbled on by accident," Carol said Thursday. She and Louise McDonnell, a co-founder of Friends of Shady Lane, met me at the cemetery on Thursday for an update on the nonprofit grassroots group's work breathing new life into the old cemetery.

Part of that effort is the in-depth profiles of Shady Lane "residents" Carol produces and publishes on Friends of Shady Lane's Facebook page. James' profile will appear today.

"I love doing the research and I love writing the profiles," Carol said, handing me a schedule of upcoming events at the cemetery. "We've got a lot going on here."

That's a characteristic understatement. Since 2021, when I first reported on the Clarks Summit retirees' burgeoning community drive to clean up and maintain the long-neglected cemetery, Friends of Shady Lane incorporated as a registered nonprofit, recruited a professional-grade advisory board and gathered a legion of volunteers.

Community work days are scheduled on select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The next work day is June 17. Friends of Shady Lane will host its first annual charity golf tournament on Sept. 23 at Rock Creek Golf Course in Lenoxville. Proceeds will benefit the Clover Memorial Project, a restoration of the section of the cemetery where the graves of as many 300 infants and toddlers are unmarked and lost to time and neglect. FSL plans to erect a monument in memory of the cemetery's youngest residents.

Today at 1 p.m. in the soldiers' section, Friends of Shady Lane will host its second annual Memorial Day service, featuring an address by Brigadier Gen. Wilbur Wolf III of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

"We based it on the original service they did when they dedicated the soldier section in 1927," Carol said. "So we've got some music from that time performed by a men's quartet. We've got some poetry readings, we've got the presentation of the colors and the Marine Corps League is going to do a gun salute and play taps. It's going to be a great day."

Morin selected James to represent a typical young, American man, and for much of his story, the characterization fits. Young Roland was raised Methodist in Chinchilla. He delivered groceries and collected stamps and pennies. He starred on his high school baseball, track and swimming teams. Sang in the glee club. Was popular with the girls. Graduated from Scranton Technical High School and left for the University of Idaho to study forestry.

Then James' story took a decidedly atypical turn.

He ran out of money and dropped out of college. Instead of coming home to Chinchilla, he took a mining job in Alaska. James planned to use the $900 he saved for tuition, but later told his family he had a premonition that he was destined for "a date with Uncle Sam." The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor spurred him to return home and join the Marines. He died on Saipan and was buried there with his fallen brothers in the 2nd Marine Division.

In 1949, Roland James' remains were returned home. Edwin H. and Leona James were surrounded by supporters as they laid their son to rest at Shady Lane Cemetery. Seven years later, his story appeared on the front pages of newspapers across America.

Today at Shady Lane, people who never knew Roland James will gather beside his grave with fresh flowers and a bright new flag.

In honoring his memory, they will be honoring all the Americans who died in all the wars this nation has known. And all because a volunteer cared enough to dig up his story.

CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, salutes Cpl. Roland James and all volunteers who sacrifice for the greater good. Read his award-winning blog at timestribuneblogs.com/kelly. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com; @cjkink on Twitter; Chris Kelly, The Times-Tribune on Facebook.