November and Veterans Day is a time to practice gratefulness for the sacrifices our fellow Americans have made. Captain James “Pitbull” Vitton, a local Plano resident and veteran with over thirty-seven years of service in the Air Force and Navy, is one such American.
Captain Vitton was drawn to aviation after his first childhood flight, but it wasn’t until his senior year of college that he decided to make it his career. After a flight, he spoke with the second officer on the plane. “The officer told me it’s the best job. So I went the next day and took a test to see if I could be a pilot. I passed, and that's how my naval career began.”
His naval career encompassed both active-duty and reserve service, featuring global deployments spanning from Misawa, Japan to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and operational tours in Venezuela. Throughout his operational footprint in the Navy, Captain Vitton accumulated over 341 combat hours and 4,600 total flight hours and earned numerous decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Like many veterans, Captain Vitton remembers attempting to make a difference. “My proudest moment was when I was selected as the Seventh Fleet Director of Operations for Japan’s relief efforts following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami with Operation TOMODACHI. We coordinated 22 ships and 15,000 personnel, delivering over 260 tons of essential supplies to thousands of endangered civilians. I participated in the first three months of that effort and even got one of my awards due to it. Instead of taking lives, we were saving lives.”
These days, Captain Vitton and his wife, Carmen, stay a little closer to home. Retired from their first careers, they own and operate VIO Med Spa in Plano. It’s their way of giving back to the community, which is what Captain Vitton has always done.
Do you know of a veteran who should be featured? Send an email to Angi.Burns@citylifestyle.com to nominate a member of our community.