[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2553-2554]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JIM HAMILTON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 29, 2007

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a legend 
in South Carolina aviation, community activist, and real humanitarian, 
Jimmie L. ``Jim'' Hamilton. Jim is a true friend to me and to many 
other South Carolinians whose lives he has touched through his work and 
his service.
  Although Jim Hamilton has been recognized as South Carolina Aviator 
of the Year, been awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest 
civilian honor in South Carolina; and received the Shrine Bowl of the 
Carolinas Walt Disney Award, he remains a humble man whose big heart 
and bigger personality mask the adversities he has faced.
  The son of a commercial fisherman and ship maintenance father, Jim 
grew up in Florida's Lower Matecumbe Key, where he was the only school-
aged child. He took a boat to school, until his family relocated to 
Miami, where he attended high school. After graduation, he enlisted in 
the U.S. Army.
  Jim's career in the military would change the course of his life. He 
became a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, but he always 
wanted to be a pilot. Since the Army required officers to fly, Jim 
applied to officer training school and was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. 
From 1949-1958, he flew spotter

[[Page 2554]]

planes for the Army. Jim maintains that learning to fly shaped his 
character and taught him honor and determination.
  When Jim left the Army in 1958, he became a flight instructor and 
Jack-of-all-trades with Aircraft Sales and Service at the Metropolitan 
Airport in Columbia, South Carolina, but he always wanted to own his 
own business.
  In 1961, Jim's life changed completely when his wife, Geraldine, died 
in a car accident. He was left to care for 3 young boys. His mother 
moved to Columbia from Florida to manage the household, and just a few 
months later, Jim was managing Owens Field airport.
  The next year, he opened Midlands Aviation in a 1-room office in the 
Five Points area of Columbia. He got a contract selling Cessna 
airplanes, and when he sold the 50,000th plane Cessna manufactured, his 
fledgling company got a lot of attention in the trade publications. 
This launched his business to new heights.
  From the early days of his business, Jim realized there was a need 
for support of private airplane owners in Columbia. He had to pay to 
keep his stock of Cessnas at Owens Field, and he had to transport them 
to Aiken to be serviced. So in 1964, Jim moved Midlands Aviation onsite 
at Owens Field. He used a trailer as his office and installed fuel 
tanks nearby. Later he was able to purchase the building that once 
housed the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission.
  For 44 years, Jim provided fuel, parts and service at Owens Field, a 
contract that he sold in October 2006. He has also managed the county-
owned airport since 1961, and continues to do so earning a salary of $1 
per month. One could say that Owens Field is Jim Hamilton's life. 
However, there is so much more to Jim Hamilton.
  In 1974, he started the Jamil Flying Fezzes, which provides free 
flights for handicapped or burned children to specialty hospitals. He 
mentors fourth graders through the Rotary Club, helps the Salvation 
Army recruit bell ringers at Christmas, and for the last 10 years he 
has driven ladies in a local retirement home on weekly shopping trips. 
He has also been a member of the South Carolina Board for Mental 
Retardation and the Babcock Center Board.
  Jim has served 3 4-year terms on the South Carolina Aeronautics 
Commission, and served as its Chairman twice. He has served 2 terms as 
President of the South Carolina Aviation Trades Association. He was 
elected Governor and Key man of the Columbia Hangar ``Quiet Birdmen.'' 
And he has dedicated much of his spare time to educating young people 
about the adventures of flying.
  Jim has been married to his second wife, Patricia, since 1966, and 
between them they have 5 children. Jimmie Jr., his oldest son and a 
talented airplane mechanic, tragically drowned in 2000. Despite the 
difficulties and tragedies in his personal life, Jim has always put 
others needs ahead of his own.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me today in recognizing the 
extraordinary contributions of Jim Hamilton. He is an outstanding 
businessman and community leader, who has overcome many challenges in 
his life and still put others first. He says that flying taught him 
honor and dedication, and there are many people today who thank Jim 
Hamilton for passing those qualities along to them.

                          ____________________