James B., 81, Huntsville, AL

James Bearden, 81, recently had his wish to visit the veterans’ memorials in Washington, D.C. granted.   James, a resident of Huntsville, AL, lost one of his legs at the young age of 13 in an elevator accident.  Because of this, he wasn’t able to serve in the military, something he always wanted to do.  James’ five brothers all served in the Army and he always had great respect for them because of that.   He has led a very productive life, retiring from IBM after many years of service and is also very active in his community, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and serving on the board of HEMSI (Huntsville Emergency Medical Services Inc.) for 12 years.  James is currently a voter’s registration deputy and a member of the sanctuary choir at his church.  His wish to visit the veterans’ memorials and pay his respects to those that served came true this past June when he and his wife, Georgia, had the chance to visit Washington, D.C. and Annapolis. Thanks to the DoubleTree in Annapolis for donating lodging for the Beardens and to several generous donors who assisted with their travel expenses.