James M. Myrick was once asked by a white commanding officer to spy on his fellow black soldiers.
Mr. Myrick, then a private first class, didn't make a ruckus or complain. He just went quietly about his duties in communications, never once reporting a word about others.
That was the kind of man he was, said daughter Clarissa Myrick-Harris of Atlanta. "It speaks to his loyalty, his integrity and his bravery," she said. "He had the courage and the character not to comply with that command."
Mr. Myrick, of Atlanta, died April 22 of pneumonia at Emory University Midtown Hospital. He was 88.
Visitation will be be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Alfonso Dawson Mortuary. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Allen Temple AME Church, 1625 Joseph E. Boone Blvd. N.W., with the Rev. Scottie Swinney officiating. Burial will be at Lincoln Cemetery.
Born in Norwood, Ga., Mr. Myrick experienced the good and bad of life. He lived through the Great Depression, World War II, segregation, integration and watching the nation elect its first black president.
"It's time," Mattie Myrick, recalled her husband of 63 years often saying whenever President Obama was on television. The two met while both were students at Morris Brown College, where he majored in business. He worked at the U.S. Postal Service from 1953 until 1981.
Nicknamed "GoDaddy", Mr. Myrick was always on the go. As long as Mrs. Myrick-Harris can remember, her dad held two jobs -- one as a postal clerk and the other as real estate salesman.
She remembers her father coming home from work, eating dinner and practicing the postal distribution scheme, a collection of addresses within a given area.
He was also very active in his church, Allen Temple, and in the community. He was a member of a group of African-American men, primarily, who anonymously contributed to various causes and individuals.
"He was just a wonderful spirit," Mrs. Myrick-Harris said.
He also liked to have fun, however. He and his wife recently traveled to Biloxi on their wedding anniversary to visit the casinos. Mr. Myrick liked to play poker and bid whist.
Longtime friend, James Greason Jr., met Mr. Myrick on the troop train going to Camp Forrest, Tenn. From there, they served in countries including France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He also served as the best man at Mr. Myrick's wedding.
Mr. Greason said education was important to Mr. Myrick, and he always wanted to make sure his children got an education. He was also passionate about his alma mater, Morris Brown, and his church.
"He was just a regular, nice guy," Mr. Greason said.
In addition to his wife and daughter, other survivors include daughter, Carmen Myrick; sons James Myrick Jr. and Jason Myrick; sisters, Helen Thomas and Hazel Riggins; brother Henry Carey Myrick; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
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