James R. (Jim) Free
Chairman Emeritus, Campbell Veterans Memorial Foundation, Inc. and Advisory Board Member
JAMES R. (JIM) FREE, is an Advisory Board Member for the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation. In January 2005, Mayor Dan Furtado asked Jim to initiate and lead an effort to build a new Veterans Memorial in downtown Campbell. He also is the founding President & CEO of that corporation, a position he held until 2015, and today is Chairman Emeritus of the Campbell Veterans Memorial Foundation, Inc.’s board.
Jim was selected Kiwanis member of the Year in 1999 and in 2003 he was selected as the Campbell Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. In June, 2013, Assemblyman Paul Fong, selected Jim as the State of California Veteran of the Year for Assembly District 28 and in 2020, Jim was selected as the Campbell Veterans Memorial Foundation Veteran of the Year.
Jim is a U.S. Navy Vietnam War Veteran. He served on board the USS Goldsborough DDG20, as a technician in the guided surface to air missile defense division and was involved in several combat missions in the Gulf of Tonkin and Vietnam during that conflict.
Jim has been united in marriage to his wife – Lucille Maravilla, for over twenty years. The two enjoy traveling, community involvement and photography.
Education & training
Jim attended San Jose State University, graduating in 1971 with a B.S. degree in Business with a concentration in real estate and a minor in mathematics
Donate today and transform lives for America’s heroes. Every single penny contributes to delivering the honor, respect gratitude and healing to those who’ve defended America’s freedom.
TOGETHER, WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE
A Memorial creates an actual place where veterans, all who serve their country and families of all races, creeds, social status and opinion can find a place that creates a healing environment to reflect and value one of our greatest gifts--to live in a free society. "Going clear back to the Civil War, all of our Veterans have raised their right hand and swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And along with that we wrote a check to the U.S. Government and the American People for an amount up to and including our lives. Unfortunately, far too many have given their all in that regard."
"It is important to have a war memorial because it must not be forgotten that many people gave their lives so that we Americans might have what we have today."