After his 8-month training in Fort Rucker in Alabama, he was sent to Vietnam with the 69th Engineers 20th Infantry to build roads and bridges in the Cambodia/Mekong Delta area. Jim was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with V Device for Valor for his bravery in February 1971, when he and fellow crewmen constructed needed bridges while withstanding 6-7 mortar attacks.

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Jim did a variety of different work such as an apprentice plumber, and house foundations/concrete prep in large cities in and around Boston. He worked for Stoughton for 25 years as a laborer, truck driver, equipment operator, and foreman of the water department. Unfortunately, Jim was diagnosed with esophageal cancer when he was 54 years old, which led to him being medically retired in 2004.

Jim also battled kidney cancer in 2012 and lost one kidney and then developed kidney disease in his remaining kidney. He is not on dialysis yet, but has extreme fatigue and struggles with iron deficiency. Jim and his wife Paula have been married for 50 years and have a son and three wonderful grandchildren. She has been reaching out on Facebook to help find donors for Jim since she and two other family members have been denied due to medical reasons.