Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley

Remember Our Heroes

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley, 46, of North Bend, Ore.

Lt. Col Wiley was assigned to the 27th Brigade Combat Team, New York Army National Guard, Syracuse, N.Y.; died Sept. 18, 2008 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley remembered
The Associated Press

About a year ago, James L. Wiley decided to don fatigues again and become a soldier for one final tour in Iraq.

“While he was there, he really became a humanitarian,” said his mother, Ruth Wiley. “He collected clothing for the children.

He told me, ‘Mom, we can fight as many wars as we want, but when we get the children believing in us, that’s when we will get the wars to stop.’”

Wiley, 46, of North Bend, Ore., died Sept. 18 at Bagram Airfield of injuries from a non-combat-related incident. He was a 1979 high school graduate and was assigned to Syracuse, N.Y.

He earned degrees in math and chemistry as well as marketing and management from the University of Oregon. He also was a member of the Oregon National Guard during college.

Wiley then earned a law degree from Willamette Law School and enlisted in the Army as a captain. His father, Jim Sr., pinned his bars on his son.

His law degree led to a posting with the government as a military attorney in Germany. When it was time to return home, the government asked him to stay as chief legal counsel.

He is survived by his wife, Theresa, and three daughters.

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley died in a non-combat related incident 9/18/08.