Fights for veterans until his death

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A founder of the Glen Cove American Legion Young-Simmons Post 1765 and World War II veteran, James B. Middleton, 91, died on June 6, 2017, at Glen Cove Hospital.

When Middleton helped found the Young-Simmons Post in the 1950s, it was one of the only Nassau County chapters that welcomed African-American members.

He was proud of being a veteran. After graduating from Glen Cove High School in 1944, he entered the military where he served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps. until his honorable discharge in 1946.

Middleton made great strides in the veteran community and held a number of hats among different veteran groups. He was the commander of the Nassau County American Legion, the City of Glen Cove’s first veteran’s coordinator, and he held multiple positions in the Young-Simmons post including first vice chair, historian, membership officer and publicity officer.

“He was kindhearted and loved by everyone,” said Young-Simmons Post Commander David Hubbard. “He was willing to share his knowledge, his information, and his wisdom with others.”

Middleton was involved with veteran affairs even up until his last few days. “As you grow in life you want someone that can instruct and tutor you and to understand what you’re supposed to do and do it well,” said Hubbard. “He was that person.”

Middleton was also very close with his sister, Eleanor, who he lived with in Locust Valley. “As people would say, you saw one, you saw the other,” she said. “He was a very special person and I was blessed to have him as a brother.”

Eleanor echoed what Hubbard said, that Middleton would “encourage and promote others to positions in the American Legion,” while trying to stay in the background.

Willibe Wilson grew up in Glen Cove with Middleton and said they were good friends, “except for one period where he wanted me to join the legion but I didn’t want to,” Wilson said, half-jokingly. “But he wore me down.” Wilson said Middleton held the post together when the membership dropped to as low as three members.

He was also a member of the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove where he served in the finance department, a committee member for the Glen Cove Memorial Day parade, and an avid golf enthusiast who took an annual trip to Augusta for The Masters.

“I was so impressed with the person he was,” said Fred Nielsen, a friend and fellow veteran who Middleton convinced to join the legion. “His sense of moral responsibility was so high, his moral decency so refreshing.”

Middleton did receive some acknowledgement for his efforts. In 2014, he was awarded a self-portrait from the Heroes Among Us project, and his sister was given a knot board, created by a Boy Scout, in his honor for the Bridge to the Greatest Generation project.

Middleton is survived by his sister and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Service was held at the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove. Arrangements entrusted to Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home of Glen Cove. Interment was at Nassau Knolls Cemetery.