Rank: 
1st Lt.
Class of: 
1965
Branch: 
Air Force
MIA/KIA: 
KIA
Conflict: 
Vietnam
Born: 
Thursday, April 16, 1942
Died : 
Wednesday, March 27, 1968
Awards: 
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, Silver Star
Buried: 
Name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu Hawaii Plot (Court A), Placard: Willamette National Cemetery Portland Oregon, Plot (MB, 0, 1)
Image: 
Biography: 

While at Oregon State University 1st Lt.  Badley received a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering, he was an OSU officer on the Intra-Fraternity Council, a member of the Arnold Air Society, Silver Wings and was on the Swim team. He was also awarded the AAD award for outstanding junior cadet while apart of the ROTC. 1st Lt. Badley commissioned into the Air Force in 1965, and went to flight training at Williams A.F.B., AZ. After receiving his wings in 1966 he started training for the F-4 phantom which was completed August 1966. He then asked for, and deployed to DaNang, Vietnam on September 22nd, 1966. On his 25th mission he was shot down, and then saved by a Jolly Green Giant seconds before being captured by Viet Cong capture. He had a reputation for excellent flying and leadership, and when faced with the required 100 missions for pilots, he volunteered for more. 1st Lt. Badley went MIA on March 27, 1968 during his 85th mission. He was later listed as KIA, and book was written about his life “Angels Unknown” by Lynda Twyman Paffrath.

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/badley/45/

https://www.oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx71bs379#page/25/mo... (pg 23)

https://www.oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx71bs493#page/53/mo... (pg 27)

https://www.oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx71cc46z#page/23/mo... (pg 21)

https://www.oregondigital.org/catalog/oregondigital:fx71bb017#page/22/mo... (pgs 21, 49, 56)

http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/1894/JAMES-L-BADLEY https://www.virtualwall.org/db/BadleyJL01a.htm