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<p><em>James Elliott Fleeger</em>, the son of Lieutenant Harry Fleeger ’31 and Louise Morgan Fleeger, was born at Fort Des Moines, IA. His parents were high school sweethearts from Parker, SD. Jim’s family was assigned to the Philippines prior to World War II, and Louise, Jim and his brother Larry were evacuated as war approached. Harry was captured by the Japanese and endured the Bataan Death March and a POW camp only to pass near the end of the war in a ship transporting POWs to Japan.</p>
<p>Jim grew up in the Denver area and became an Eagle Scout. He climbed the Colorado Fourteeners with his troop and formed a new family with his stepfather, James Snee ’34, who helped him prepare for West Point, as they were assigned to a post in Kokura, Japan. Jim attended North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND for one year before entering West Point in Company C-1. At West Point he enjoyed the Swim Team and Ski Team and participating in the Cadet Choir.</p>
<p> In the year following his graduation from West Point, Jim fell in love with Madge (Jo) Iseminger, and they married on April 7, 1956 in Arlington, VA and had three children: Susan Patton DVM and David Fleeger MD, born in Germany, and Christine Hampton, a special education teacher, born at West Point, where Jim served as a tactical officer for A-3. He sponsored the yell leaders and was mentioned in a novel about West Point in the 1960s during his time there. Jim served as aide to two deputy commanding generals of the 8th Army in Korea. Jim also had assignments in Rehoboth, MA; El Paso, TX; Fort Sill, OK; and Leavenworth, KS.</p>
<p>The family had the experience of living in India while at the Indian Defense Services College, where Jim was a U.S. exchange student. Next, Jim went to Vietnam as the 82nd Airborne Division’s battalion commander. Jim was artillery and suffered a serious helicopter crash in Vietnam, which brought him home to Tripler Army Medical Hospital on Oahu, Hawaii. The family had a small beach house in Mokuleia, HI, which was a perfect place to heal. Jim’s next adventure was to attend the Wharton School of Business for his MBA in Philadelphia, PA. Here, true to his competitive nature, he graduated at the top of his class.</p>
<p>His final military assignments were at Fort Carson, CO as a battalion commander of the 4th Infantry Division and then the Pentagon. In Colorado he was able to take his battalion to a homeless area in Canon City to clean up the area and provide better shelter.</p>
<p>After 17 years of service Jim left the military for the business world and worked in the camping, insurance, petroleum, business supply and business consulting industries, primarily in the Houston, TX area, where he retired. His favorite activity was long-distance running, and he proudly completed the Houston and New York marathons. He was an avid student of history and read hundreds of books about U.S. presidents and other political and historical figures during his retirement. He kept in close contact with his West Point classmates via email groups and alumni gatherings. Jim and Jo enjoyed having the group over for dinner parties and camaraderie. He participated in the church choir and a barber shop quartet.</p>
<p>Jim lost Jo to Parkinson’s disease in May 2020 and stayed in his home a couple more years, until moving into assisted living in Austin near his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Jamie. Jim will be remembered for making his visiting family feel special with trips to Kemah amusement park, the beach in Galveston, or performances, parades or museums in downtown Houston. He was an enthusiastic sports fan and got to experience the World Series with the Houston Astros and his son-in law Danny Weller. </p>
<p>His family will remember his eloquent and enthusiastic speeches at special family gatherings and his appreciation for all their help as he aged. His love of the outdoors is shared by his family in many ways. His grandson, Clark, is a tracker and outdoor survival expert. His son, David, is an avid nature photographer and travels the world in his off time to hone his photography expertise. His daughter Susan settled in Boulder, CO, where she lives by a hiking trailhead at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills and enjoys horseback riding and horses with her daughters, Gracie and Sarah. His daughter Christine hikes regularly with her daughter Leah in Columbia, SC and has a beautiful garden. His granddaughter Lauren enjoys coaching soccer and lots of outdoor time with her dog in the Chicago area.</p>
<p> Jim is survived by his daughter Susan, her husband, Danny Weller, and their children Clark, Sarah and Gracie; his son, David, his wife, Jamie, and their daughter, Lauren, and her husband, Jim Seesel; his daughter Christine, her husband, Clark Hampton, their children: Taylor, Leah, and Amanda, and Amanda’s husband, Carl Dorvil; his only greatgrandchild, Leo Dorvil; his brother-in- law William Iseminger and his wife, Gloria, who shared the same wedding anniversary and loved to celebrate together; and his sister-in-law Diane Iseminger and her daughters: Dawn, Ivy and Pam.</p>
<p><em>— Susan E. Patton DVM</em></p>
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