James Wayne Cotton of District 9 is the Choctaw Nation’s Veteran of the Month.
Cotton was born in Britton, Oklahoma, a small town north of Oklahoma City. He graduated from Northeast High School in 1965 and attended Oklahoma State University for one semester, paying his own way. While attending Oklahoma State, he served in the Air Force ROTC before transferring to the Navy Reserve. He drilled with the Navy Reserve in Oklahoma City and attended Central State College for another semester before entering active duty in October 1966. He joined the military because of his family’s strong history of service and his deep sense of patriotism.
Cotton attended basic training in San Diego before being assigned to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. He received extensive electronics training and specialized instruction in top-secret navigation and communication systems. When he left the military in December 1969, he held the rank of second-class petty officer (ATN2). Washington, D.C., was his favorite duty station because of the city’s rich history and cultural significance.
He continued serving in the reserves, drilling in Dallas for the next several years. He then returned to the University of Oklahoma, where he studied electrical engineering. In 1972, he joined the IBEW electrician apprenticeship program, completing the training and becoming a journeyman electrician. He later worked for Osburn Electric in Oklahoma City.
Cotton transferred to Shaver and Sons Electric, where he managed the Braum’s Ice Cream account and numerous other customers.
In 1985, he established his own business, Electro/Mech Service and Supply, which he sold in 1990. He then worked as an electrical contractor for the state of Oklahoma and became responsible for managing state-owned buildings. In 1994, he returned to school to complete his degree and earned credentials in robotic process automation. He later managed a building management agency and worked for the state of Oklahoma and Hertz Rentals before returning to Tinker Air Force Base. He then joined Canadian Valley Technology Center as an electrical engineering instructor, where he worked until his retirement in 2011. After retiring, he relocated to Durant and became involved with Choctaw Nation senior citizen programs.
In 1966, he married his wife, Chris. They have two sons, Jeffrey and James, and are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Cotton expressed sincere gratitude to the Choctaw Nation, District 9, Ted Dosh and James Dry, whose support and encouragement contributed greatly to a successful retirement. He is deeply proud of his heritage and grateful for the opportunity to have been raised within it and enriched by it.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma holds its veterans in the highest esteem and appreciates their sacrifices and contributions to preserving the freedoms and way of life we hold dear.