McLachlan Jr, James

James McLachlan Jr. is a retired aircraft engineer. Born in Berkeley, California, in 1923, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and qualified for aviation at the age of nineteen. During the final years of WWII, he served in campaigns in the Central Pacific, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, eventually acting as noncommissioned officer.

After the war, McLachlan went on to work in aircraft maintenance and engineering for forty-three years. Employed by major airlines such as Transocean, United Airlines, Flying Tigers, World Airways, and Braniff International Airways, he served in a variety of roles,