James Ramage had become the Supervising Principal at Livingston Manor Central School when he replaced the retiring Russell Ludlum in 1968. With sixteen years in the field of education as both teacher and administrator, Ramage was well qualified to be the school’s top administrator. And like so many other men from his generation, Ramage was a veteran of World War II, where he performed exemplary service in the line of fire. For the next two years, this battle-hardened veteran would cross onto a different, and perhaps more difficult, battlefield in which he became caught in the crossfire between educators and community.

James Ramage was one of sixty high school seniors from the Auburn area who, in March of 1943, were drafted into the army. These young men were assigned to the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion. A squad leader, Ramage, along with his battalion, was amongst the first to make their way onto the beaches of Normandy during the early morning hours on June 6, 1844. Their job, under heavy fire, was to clear the beaches of obstacles and mines for the initial landing forces and equipment for the D-Day invasion. Six months later, the 299th Combat Engineers, played an important role in the Allied breakout following the Battle of the Bulge. Minesweeping, guarding bridges and erecting pontoon bridge crossings for the Allied offensive, the battalion was instrumental in crushing the German army’s resistance and ultimate surrender.

As can be imagined, the work of the combat engineers was dangerous work. Ramage was injured in an explosion, which required surgery and a metal plate inserted into his skull. As a result of his World War II military service, the future LMCS supervisor principal was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart with cluster, Bronze Arrow Head, Presidential Unit Citation with cluster and five battle stars.