Col. James Solon Moncrief Jr.

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Col. James
Solon Moncrief, Jr.
Col. Moncrief, 99, of Charlotte, NC, formerly of Monroe, NC, died on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at The Carriage Club Retirement Community of Charlotte, NC where he had lived for 16 years. Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Monroe, NC. Ministers participating will be Rev. Gene Derryberry, Rev. Sara Spahr Stubbs, Rev. Paul Simms, and Dr. Roger Lakatos. Visitation will be in the parlor at 1:30 p.m. and the service is at 3:00 p.m. Entombment will follow at Lakeland Memorial Park Mausoleum in Monroe with full military honors.
Born June 7, 1912 in Manchester, GA to the late James Solon Moncrief and Vie Berta Snow Moncrief, he spent his youth in Glennville, East Point, and Albany, GA where he graduated from High School in 1928. Graduating from the University of Georgia in 1933, Jim received his Reserve Commission in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant. His first military duty was with the Civilian Conservation Corps, followed by a year of active duty in the Army under the Thompson Act in 1936, serving in the 22nd Infantry of the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort McClellan, AL.
After two and a half years with the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Jim was ordered to active duty with the Second Armored Division at Ft. Benning, GA in February 1941. His war service was with the Sixth Armored Division in Europe with Gen. Patton's Third Army. Jim was the Personnel Officer (G-1) on the General Staff of the Commanding General of the Division throughout World War II. Following the war, Jim received his commission in the regular Army, a career which included many interesting assignments, including two tours of duty in the Pentagon; Staff Negotiator with the Communists at Panmumjom in the implementation of the Armistice Agreement at the conclusion of the Korean War; Military Attache to Nicaragua during the Somoza Regime; and Professor of Military Science in the ROTC program at two state universities (WV and WI).
His military decorations include: Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, The Bronze Star, Army Commendation Ribbon, French Legion of Honour, French Croix Guerre with Palm, United Nations Meritorious Service Award and the European Theater of Operations (ETO) Ribbon with five battle (bronze) stars.
After retiring from the Army, Moncrief came to Monroe, NC in 1966 as the Executive Officer of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. Later he worked for the American Bank and Trust Company until his retirement in 1977.
Moncrief was a member of the First Baptist Church of Monroe where he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was a member of the Monroe Rotary Club, serving as its President in 1976. Having played a key role in the organization of the Sixth Armored Division Association in 1947, he became its President in 1997. He was organizer and first President of the Union County Amateur Radio Society (UCARS). He served on the board of the Union Memorial Hospital, now CMC Union Hospital.
He authored three books, each concerning his experiences, observations, events, and people he encountered over eight decades.
Jim enjoyed 65 years of marriage with his lovely and devoted wife Geraldine ('Jerry') Meaders Moncrief. After living in Monroe for 30 years, they moved to the Carriage Club of Charlotte in 1995. Jerry died in 2006.
Survivors include his daughters Anne Moncrief (Baucom) Moore; Gene Moncrief and her husband Walter Levy and his sons, Alexander and Matthew; four grandchildren: David S. Baucom of Charlotte, Mariel Baucom Wooten and her husband Dan of Monroe, Katherine Roos and her husband Tony of Minneapolis, MN, and Kristina Stark and her husband Matt of Providence, RI; ten great grandchildren: Jake, Wil, Ben, Jon, Jed and Gray Wooten; Emma, Lily and George Stark, and Iris Roos.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to Disabled American Veterans or the First Baptist Church of Monroe or the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be offered at www.mcewenmonroechapel.com.
McEwen Funeral and Cremation Service of Monroe is serving the family of Col. Moncrief.