Winnie Aey (Trotter)

Jim was killed near Da Nang, Viet Nam, as he was beginning his last 30-day stretch of combat duty. (April 1966)

He left his wife, Dana Roth and two children.  Jimmy Jr and Kriston.

Hard to believe that all that took place so long ago.

Gail Bodendorfer (Hatton)

I went to grade school with Jimmy, he was know as Jimmy Hammond then, I understand he had to take his natural fathers name to get his benefits since he was also killed serving our country.  So sad.

Dennis Bernard

    Like Gail, I went from first grade through graduation with Jim. We Lived only a few doors from each other and raised a lot of hell together before we even got to high school. I got together with Jim, Dana and the kids whenever he was on leave and my school breaks coincided. I saw him just after basic training. He was telling me how one of the other recruits came at him with a knife. He said: "I grabbed the blade with my left hand and took him out with my right". I thought it was just a"war story" until I looked at his hand. There was a poorly healed gash across all the fingers of his left hand where they had been cut to the bone. He never even had them sutured. It was one ugly looking wound. He said his fingers still worked and that was all he was concerned about.

    Dana showed a letter to me that Jims friend (who was there when Jim was killed) wrote after he had died.

This is how jim died:

One of Jim's unit was wounded and needed to be brought back for medical treatment. He was about 100 yards away. Jim volunteered to go out and get him. He crawled on his stomach through heavy enemy fire (it would have been at this point that I would have turned back--but we all know how fearless Jim could be) and just as he reached the wounded soldier, a mortar shell hit right next to Jim. When they brought him back there was a "spark of life" left but he died later at a MASH unit. And for what?!

    Dana died a few years ago from ALS. Their son Jim is a health professional in Austintown and I don't know anything about their daughter Kristin.

    I still miss Jim.

Carole Colonna (Cooley)

To add to Corkey's comment, Jimmy's daughter is a teacher, and lives off of Tippecanoe in Boardman.  She is a lovely young woman.  Married to a nice man and has two children.       Don't know if any of you know,but Jimmy was best man when Earl and I got married.  After the guys joined the Marines, we lived next to each other in North Carolina.  Those were some good memories.  One of the saddest days of my life to this day, was attending that closed casket funeral.  Seeing Dana there, so young, and a widow with two babies was heartbreaking.  She did an outstanding job raising those two children?  I know Jim would have proud.

William Soccorsy

Jimmy was a special person.  I remember what made him special in my mind was that he was fearless.  That trait showed uo clearly on the football field.  Both Jim and I were "under-size" for playing football.  My approach to compensate for the size issue was to avoid contact with deception and cleaverness.  Jim's approach was to meet power with courage and fearlessness.  He could tackle anyone, any size, at any speed.  We needed guys like Jimmy on our team to level the playing field.  He always did his part.  He lived his short life the same way.  Head to head, fearless, delivering power to power head on.  It helps me to hear how Jimmy died.  He was trying to help, the real heros from Vietnam never came home.  Thank You Jim.  Bill soccorsy

Dennis Bernard

Jimmy Prommersberger died 47 years ago today.

Larry Cadman

Corky, thank you for that timely reminder of what all this is about and why we are doing the memorial.   We should all take a minute to give thanks for what we have and to those who make it possible.   

Sandra Whittle (Brookshire)

I  Didn't know Jimmy very well. He was always a happy and nice person to me. He was well liked.  I too knew him as Jimmy Hammond and then as Prommersberger.  I was heart broken to hear of his death and the loss of so many good people in Vietnam Nam. Dana was a brave lady that did an excellent job raising the two children. The world is a sadder place because of the loss of Good Men like Jimmy. R.I.P  

Donald Reese

Jimmy and I were very close. We both played Little League on the same team and dated amongst the same girls. I remember when he met Dana and we double dated at the Westside Drive in. I also recall my sadness and anger when I learned of his loss. I was at Fort Bragg then and losses were a regular occurance, but none hit as hard as the Charlie and Jim losses. Their memories do live on, even my children know of them and their sacrafices and often mention to me how they both affected my life. I have missed them both consistantly.

Donald Muzenic

To a good friend - miss you. Also, Charlie Brown - another good bud.

Don