Mr. James C. Condon, age 79, of Versailles, Ohio passed away on May 30, 2013 at 1:27 a.m. at Miami Valley Hospital. He was born April 8, 1934 in Dayton, Ohio, to the late Russell E. and Clara (Stocker) Condon. He was raised in West Milton, Ohio and moved to Versailles, Ohio in 1945. Upon graduation from Parker Vocational HS in Dayton, Ohio in 1952, he worked at the Frigidaire Division of GM and joined the Ohio Air National Guard.
He joined the United States Air Force in October 1954 and entered the Aviation Cadet Program at Ellington AFB in Houston, Texas. Upon graduation in December 1955, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and received his Navigator/Bombadier Wings. During his career, he flew B-47 and B-52 bombers amassing 6,000 flying hours. He flew 126 combat missions during the Vietnam War. He was shot down over Hanoi, North Vietnam on December 28, 1972, was captured and spent 91 days as a POW. From 1973 to 1978 he attended Air War College in Alabama and served on the staff of 15th Air Force in California. After his retirement in 1978, he and his family moved to Versailles. During his combined 26 years of service he received many awards including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, POW Medal and the Air Medal w/5 Oak Leaf Clusters.
He along with his wife owned and operated The House of Flowers in Versailles, Ohio, for 19 years. During this time he was very active in the community. He served a term on Village Council, was on the Board of the Versailles Development Association, was on the Poultry Days Committee serving as Chairman in 1983 and was one of the founders and served on the Board of Heritage Park. He was a member of St. Denis Catholic Church, a member of the Versailles Lions Club, the Versailles Area Historical Society, a Golden Eagle Member of the Versailles Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 2347, the Versailles Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, a member of the Darke County Disabled American Veterans and a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
