World War II veteran Dr. Harley Jolley dines Monday at the Blue Window Bistro during his visit to Los Alamos. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

​Veteran Harley Jolley, his son Stuart, daughter-in-law Jackie, and grandsons Samuel, left, and Jonathan in front of 15th Wing Headquarters which served as Squadron Headquarters in Hawaii for the 11th Bombardment Group in 1941. Courtesy photo

World War II veteran Dr. Harley Jolley, 97, visited Los Alamos this week and stopped by the Bradbury Science Museum and caught up with family friends.

A native of Hudson, N.C., he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was a private first class stationed with the Headquarters Squadron 11th Bombardment Group at Hickam Field near Honolulu on the morning of the attack at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.

Jolley joined the Civilian Conservation Corps as a means of bettering himself and providing support to his mother, working in camps in Lexington, N.C., and Death Valley, Calif., before joining the Army Air Corps in 1939. After the Pearl Harbor attack, he continued his enlistment throughout World War II and was later redeployed in the European Theater earning the rank of staff sergeant before finally returning home in 1945.

Jolley used his GI bill benefits to enroll in Appalachian State Teachers College in Boone, N.C., where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history and met his future bride, Betty. He earned his master’s degree at the University of Tennessee and began his tenure as a professor at Mars Hill College. He continued his coursework at the University of North Carolina and Florida State University until completing his doctoral degree in history in 1964.

In 1958, Jolley began a second career as a seasonal ranger for the National Park Service, serving as park historian for the Blue Ridge Parkway during his summers off. He wrote several books about the Blue Ridge Parkway and has been featured on PBS documentaries as an expert on the Great Depression and the CCC.

In December 2016, Jolley, his two sons, daughter-in-law and two grandsons traveled to Hawaii for the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. Daughter-in-law Jackie Jolley said the Navy, Marine and Coast Guard survivors went to the larger celebration at Kilo Pier on the water at Pearl Harbor, but those who served on the Air Bases were given the option to attend celebrations at Kilo Pier or Hickam Field. “There are so few survivors remaining from Wheeler Field, Bellows Field, and the other air bases on the island that they don’t even have commemorations at those smaller air bases anymore. These gentlemen and their families were invited to join the Hickam celebration and that is where Harley Jolley chose to go,” Jackie Jolley said.

The organizer of the Hickam Field celebration had done extensive research on the 10 survivors who attended the Hickam Field event and on their families. She knew which barrack wing he was assigned to and where he was assigned to work.

“She knew what his rank was that day and where he served later in the war with the Army Air Corps. She had also researched what he had done and accomplished after his discharge from the military,” Jackie Jolley said. “She made it very personal for each of the 10 survivors that returned to Hickam Field to remember Pearl Harbor.”

Each of the 10 survivors was given a personalized commemorative box, handcrafted of island hardwoods with an inlaid commemorative medal. Inside each box was a collection of military coins to honor each of their service.

The Jolleys also attended the Public Commemoration, which included survivors from all branches of the military as well as any other World War II veterans who wished to participate. Following the ceremony, the survivors and veterans served as honorary grand marshals for the 6th Annual Pearl Harbor Parade.

​During his visit to New Mexico, Dr. Jolley attended the Indian Market in Santa Fe and Bandelier National Monument and toured Los Alamos.

Dr. Harley Jolley views a memorial to more than 2,000 servicemen and service women who died in 1941at Pearl Harbor, during his visit in 2016 to Hawaii for the 75th anniversary of the attack by Japanese forces. Courtesy photo