STATE COLLEGE — Veterans Day is Monday, Nov. 11. There are countless Penn State athletes that went on to serve their country. One standout is James C. Harding.
Harding played for the Penn State football team on the offensive line in the 1930s before graduating from the Reserve Officer Training Corps.
While in the ROTC, Harding served as the cadet division commander and was selected as the outstanding Air Force ROTC cadet. He entered the military in 1956.
His time in the Air Force was nothing short of marvelous as Harding became one of the most decorated heroes in the country. According to veterantribute.org in a list last updated in 2014, Harding is the 25th most decorated military personnel in United States history.
A few of his honors include a Bronze Star Medal, multiple Distinguished Flying Cross medals, an Air Force Cross medal and multiple Legion of Merit medals. He also received a Purple Heart with three bronze leaf clusters.
The Air Force Cross medal is only below the Medal of Honor and is given for extraordinary heroism while in action against an enemy of the United States.
The Purple Heart is given to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded or killed while serving in combat. The leaf clusters are given every time after the first time that a veteran is wounded.
During his service, Harding logged over 5,000 hours of military single-engine flying time and became a master parachutist with 69 jumps. He also received six promotions, completing 22 assignments.
In the Vietnam War, the former Penn State player flew as an A-1 Tactical Fighter Pilot in Southeast Asia from April 10, 1972, to April 13, 1972.
He was the commander of a hazardous search and rescue mission for a downed American Pilot located in a heavily defended area of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in southern Laos.
Near the end of the war, Harding was shot down in 1972. Harding recalled not being very high, maybe 1,200 or 1,500 feet from ground when two surface-to-air Russian missiles hit his aircraft.
He was able to eject, but Harding was shot at while he was parachuting on his way down. When he landed, he was attacked by four Vietnamese soldiers, shooting one with his pistol and killing the rest with the first soldier’s AK-47.
Harding was able to evade being captured and was later saved by U.S. Army Huey helicopters.
In 1980, Harding joined the Air Force Junior ROTC and became instrumental in many of the United States’ programs. Harding taught in Florida, Hawaii, Germany, Texas and Italy during his time in that role.
In 1998, he moved to take up citrus tree farming in Bayview, Texas. He also served as an honorary captain at the Penn State versus Rutgers football game on Nov. 15, 2017.
