Sgt. Major-Ret. James P. McMahon Obituary (1954 - 2019)

Sgt. Major-Ret. James (Jim) P. McMahon, 64, of Fayetteville, NC died November 5, 2019. Jim was born in Rockford, IL to Maurice and Helen (Glau) McMahon on December 14, 1954. He was a 1972 graduate of Durand High School. During his career in the U.S. Army (1975-2002), Jim spent more than 16 years serving both as a U.S. Ranger in the famous U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment and then later in Special Operations as a member of the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force. Jim is a highly decorated war hero and received numerous awards and commendations, such as the Purple Heart and Silver Star that he was awarded for distinguished valor in 1993 in Mogadishu in a battle that has become known as “Blackhawk Down”. Even though Jim was severely wounded in a helicopter crash, he continued fighting to protect his fallen comrades until reinforcements arrived. After his retirement from the U.S. Army in 2002, Jim continued to serve his country as a defense contractor until his death in 2019. He worked on security details in Iraq in 2003, helped provide humanitarian aid in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake, and provided both security and humanitarian aid in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. As a certified Information Technology specialist, Jim provided cybersecurity assistance to companies and the U.S. Government. Since 2013, he served as a Special Operations Instructor at Fr. Bragg. He is survived by his brother, Daniel McMahon, Roscoe, IL; sister, Carla (Rick) Vendel, Rock City, IL; three nieces, Lisa Judd, Traci (Dan) DiGvonni and Julie (Chris) Smith. He was preceded in death by his parents. A special thanks to his extended family and comrades at PSI, Fayetteville, NC for such incredible assistance during this difficult time. Prayers will be Saturday at 10:00 a.m., November 16, 2019 in McCorkle Funeral Home-Durand Chapel, 101 W Main Street, Durand, IL with Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m., at St. Mary Catholic Church, 606 W Main Street, Durand, IL. Burial will be in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Durand, IL. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, November 15 with Scripture Service to be held at 6:45 p.m.