Captain James B. Harshfield USN (Ret) was born July 26, 1950 in Evansville, Indiana. He moved with his family to Michigan as a youth and eventually graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1972 with a degree in Geology. Shortly after graduation he entered flight training in Pensacola, Florida earning his Navy "Wings of Gold" as a Naval Flight Officer in April 1973. Assigned to Patrol Squadron Twenty-Two home ported at Barbers Point Hawaii he flew maritime patrol missions on the Lockheed P-3 "Orion" aircraft out of Japan, the Philippines and throughout the Indian Ocean achieving the designation of Patrol Plane Mission Commander. Captain Harshfield left active duty in 1976 affiliating with the Naval Air Reserve first based at Chicago's Naval Air Station Glenview and later at Naval Air Facility Detroit (NAF) aboard Selfridge ANGB where he continued to fly "Cold War" patrol missions against the Soviets on the P-3 but now, throughout the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea with Patrol Squadron Ninety-Three (VP-93). On a track of ever increasing responsibility, he was ultimately named as the squadron's Commanding Officer in 1991. In the following years he was assigned to command and deployed with other significant Naval Reserve units aboard NAF Detroit until he retired in 2002.

Following his release from active duty in 1976 Captain Harshfield worked as a self-employed Real Estate Investor and Manager for many years before joining COMAIR Airlines as a Ramp Agent from which he ultimately retired. "Retired" but certainly not "inactive," he became an strong supporter of the VP-93 Alumni Association, a frequent volunteer at the Michigan Freedom Center (military lounges) at Detroit Metro Airport as well as a docent at both Detroit Willow Run Airport's Yankee Air Museum and the Selfridge (ANGB) Military Air Museum.

Captain James B. Harshfield succumbed to a very aggressive cancer on November 9  ^th  following a brave five month fight leaving behind his devoted son Charles "Chuck" Harshfield, many friends, associates and navy shipmates. Donations in Captain James B. Harshfield's name in lieu of flowers may be directed to the Yankee Air Museum  https://yankeeairmuseum.org/  , the Michigan Freedom Center  http://www.mifreedomcenter.org/  or to the Michigan Air Guard Historical Association  http://selfridgeairmuseum.org/MAGHA.htm  .

A Memorial Service will take place at 3:00PM on Sunday, November 17, 2019 (Gathering from 12:00PM until 5:00PM) at the Dearborn Chapel of Howe-Peterson Funeral Homes, 22546 Michigan Avenue.