SFC James F. Grissom Honored in 2014
James Grissom graduated from Mt. Eden High School in 1999 and attended college at the Art Institute of San Francisco, earning his Associates Degree in Computer Animation. He enlisted in the United States Army in June 2003, under the 18 x-ray Special Forces Enlistment Program. After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course in October, 2005, he was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. During his time as a member of 2nd Battalion, James deployed on several occasions including Iraq in 2009 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was assigned to 4th Battalion in 2010 as an engineer sergeant and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012.
On 21 March 2013, SFC Grissom past on due to injuries sustained from small arms fire he received three days earlier. SFC Grissom was on his 5th deployment to an Overseas Contingency Operation when he was fatally wounded.
SFC Grissom’s military education includes the Special Forces Qualification Course, Warrior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape know as SERE, the Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance, Target Analysis, and Exploitation Course, and the Airborne Course.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal with 2 oak leaf cluster, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2, Army Service Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Start Medal.
He is survived by his wife Angela (Pictured Right), his parents Margery and James Grissom; and his sister Rebecca Grissom.
