MCCARTNEY, James Knight

James Knight McCartney, passed away December 11, 2002 in Scottsdale, AZ. James graduated from Marquette University High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1936 and went to work as a machinist. In 1940 he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private and became a motorcycle mechanic. In 1943 he volunteered for Officer Candidate School, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps. He deployed to the European Theatre of Operations with the 343rd Ordinance Company, which supported a variety of wheeled and tracked vehicles from Tidworth, England. On July 4, 1944 he landed with his unit on Utah Beach in Normandy, France and supported various units as General George S. Patton, Jr.'s Third U.S. Army pushed the Wehrmacht across northern France. In October 1944, after the success of Operation Anvil-Dragoon in southern France, James and the 343rd were assigned to the Seventh Army, which fought across southern Germany and into Austria. James and his unit celebrated VE Day in Munich, Germany, and eventually proceeded to Linz, Austria, to establish a depot for the forces that would occupy Austria. After World War II, James worked for the telephone company in Wisconsin for a short time selling mobile telephones, the precursor to the ubiquitous cell phone. In 1948 he resumed his service in the U.S. Army as part of the force occupying Japan. In July 1950 he was transferred to Korea and was assigned to an Ordinance unit whose mission was to support the heroic combat arms defending the Pusan Perimeter. After the capitulation of the North Koreans at Pusan, James and his unit supplied many units as they pressed north on the peninsula to liberate Seoul, South Korea. James served the remainder of his military career in the United States and Germany and served in units that were put on alert during the Hungarian Uprising and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He retired as a major in 1963 after more than 22 years of service, 4 of which were years in combat. Coming to Arizona in 1963, James worked with the Salt River Project for more than 17 years as a power consultant. In that capacity during the mid-1960s and 1970s he designed the electrical infrastructure that helped provide power to the many residential, commercial, and industrial projects. He was preceded in death by his father Claude A. McCartney, his mother, Helena B. Scheuren, and two brothers John W. McCartney, and Joseph P. McCartney. He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Lenore R. McCartney; two sons and their wives, Jeffrey J. and Teresa McCartney, and Michael K. McCartney and Marlene Patino-McCartney; one daughter, Patricia L. McCartney and her life partner, Madlyn Costantino; two-granddaughters Patricia O. McCartney and Melissa L. and her husband, Jayson Matthews, and one brother, Robert E.L.J. McCartney. Memorial services will be Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd. Phoenix, AZ. Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the Hospice of the Valley 1510 E. Flower St. Phoenix, AZ 85014. Arrangements are with Carr Tenney Mortuary. Published in the Arizona Republic on 12/14/2002.