Clayton James

Released
Full name:Clayton Bernard James
Date of birth:06. 02. 1918
Date of death:02. 10. 2016
Age:98† Deceased
Gender:Male
Era:1940s
State:Oregon
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Clayton James

Biography

Clayton James was an artist and World War II opponent of military service who worked in Civilian Public Service camps, including Camp 56 at Waldport, Oregon. In a recorded oral history, he described leaving camp without authorization, arrest by the FBI, jail custody and a trial ending in a suspended sentence. His account identifies his wife Barbara and the archive identifies him as Clayton B. James, CPS worker 004850. His completed jail episode is distinguished from his approximately three years of CPS service. A 2016 obituary identifies the artist as Clayton Bernard James and records his death that year.

Case

Charges: Unauthorized absence from Civilian Public Service; precise statutory charge unverified
Sentence: Reported outcome: suspended sentence following FBI arrest and jail custody for absence from CPS camp. Exact sentencing terms and custody dates are unverified. His oral recollection varies between years before settling on summer 1945 and describes an August return; a published biography reports a late-July return and one night in Portland jail. These conflicting details are preserved rather than converted to exact dates. CPS service is not counted as criminal imprisonment. Sources: https://stcpsarchive.z9.web.core.windows.net/cpsarchive/interview-clayton-james.html (Siuslaw National Forest/Portland State University oral history, pp. 99-102); https://www.historylink.org/File/5349 ; identity/death: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/seattletimes/name/clayton-james-obituary?id=20711840

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