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St. James bid a heartfelt goodbye to an American hero Tuesday at a funeral mass held for decorated World War II veteran James “Red” Dowling of St. James.
Dowling — an Army Air Corps bombardier/navigator taken prisoner by German forces after his plane was shot down over Kassel, Germany, on Sept. 27, 1944 — died on Thursday, May 26. He was 99.
A kind of local celebrity in and around St. James, Dowling’s fulfilling life is documented in the “Faces of War” video series. Author and NBC newsman Tom Brokaw dedicated an entire chapter to Dowling in his book “The Greatest Generation.”
Dowling, a football player in high school, was drafted into the service in 1943, eventually earning the rank of 2nd Lieutenant; his flight leader was the Big Screen actor Jimmy Stewart. When the war ended, he came home a hero and soon married his childhood sweetheart Dorothy Owen, keeping a promise he made to her when he went off to war at 19 years old.
The couple had eight children, 25 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, according to Dowling’s obituary posted by St. James Funeral Home.
In addition to fulfilling his role as a loving husband and dad, Dowling was a pillar of the community in St. James, starting the St. James Little League and serving as the league’s president for 18 years.
Additionally, he began a construction business and started Red’s seafood, delivering clams across the tri-state area. Dowling served in the elected position of Smithtown highway superintendent from 1960- 1998, helping establish 250 miles of permanent roads.
Featured image: “Faces of War” on SmithtownGTV / YouTube
