The youngest of two children, James Darian Longnecker was born on 5 November 1914 in Albion, Nebraska, to James Longnecker and Iva McDannell Longnecker. James lived in Nebraska most of his life before moving to Ogden, Utah, by 1937. On 28 January 1938, James married Dorothy Kersch in Ogden. They were divorced in the next year. James worked as a brakeman for the Union Pacific railroad in Ogden for five years.

James enlisted on 9 February 1942 at Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received boot training at Camp Wallace, Texas, and was assigned to the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He received paratrooper training at Fort Benning in Georgia and went overseas in May 1943. James’s unit participated in the Allied invasion on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and were assigned to take and defend La Fiere Bridge, near St. Mére Èglise. James was killed on 7 June. He was awarded the Purple Heart and is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

James D Longnecker