2026 SPECIAL SESSION I
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2074
Commending Colonel James T. O'Kelley, USMCR (Ret.).
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 22, 2026
WHEREAS, Colonel James T. O'Kelley, USMCR (Ret.) is an honorable veteran and esteemed law-enforcement officer who greatly served both the nation and the Commonwealth in his military and civilian careers; and
WHEREAS, a native of Asheville, James “Jim” T. O'Kelley earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Duke University in 1964 and later obtained a master's degree in systems management and a doctorate in public policy analysis from The George Washington University in 1971 and 1976, respectively; and
WHEREAS, Jim O'Kelley honorably served his country for 36 years as a member of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Reserve, including tours of duty in Vietnam as a second lieutenant platoon commander, an advisor to the 2nd Republic of Korea Marine Corps Brigade, and a lieutenant executive officer and captain, company commander, with the USMC 9th Engineer Battalion; and
WHEREAS, Jim O'Kelley pursued further military education throughout his career at a number of prestigious institutions in the United States, Canada, and England, including what was formerly the Amphibious Warfare School at Quantico and the Naval War College, and he later also served as a member of the faculty at many of these institutions, as well as an adjunct professor of business and public administration at George Mason University from 1976 to 1996; and
WHEREAS, Jim O'Kelley received numerous decorations for his service and valor as a member of the USMCR, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon; and
WHEREAS, after retiring from military service as the director of the Marine Corps Logistics Readiness Center at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., Jim O'Kelley worked with the United States Geological Survey, where he retired in 2006, capping four decades of service to the United States Government; and