More detail on this person: Eastern Washington
University Student Newsletter
By Troy Kirby
February 25, 2004
If a man's life is a chapter, retired Colonel
James "Bo"¥ Elliott found a way to write an entire
book.
An alumnus of EWU after serving three tours in
Vietnam and winner of a Silver Star, Elliott, 58,
died from a heart attack, January 24, 2004.
He was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, both by
his doctor and by his friends for the gracious way
he always treated them.
The 1960s' had a life-changing period on Elliott's
character, a native of Spokane.
He attended Gonzaga Prep and played varsity
basketball, football and track, Elliott was voted
student body president as a senior in 1964, said
high school friend Jerry McGinn.
"He was a smart, engaging type of guy, a natural
leader,"¥ McGinn said. "He always drew people to
him and would literally engage you."¥
Tragically, Elliott's father, Clifford, died in
1964, making Elliott the older man in his family,
McGinn said.
"He stood out at Prep because there weren't that
many other blacks in the school,"¥ McGinn said.
Elliott's 1964 ASB opponent for president at
Gonzaga Prep was Don Barbieri, currently running
for Washington State's fifth congressional seat.
Elliott helped build a positive perception of what
a person was capable of, Barbieri said.
"I believe I can be a better congressman because
of his help and inspiration,"¥ Barbieri said.
Barbieri said that because 2004 is a reunion year
for Gonzaga Prep, Elliott's influence will be
missed.
"We had a close circle of friends at Gonzaga Prep
and he was one of them. He was an active, positive
human being of high value he pushed each one of
us,"¥ Barbieri said. "Our reunion year will only
get bigger because of him."¥
Elliott moved to California in 1965, attending the
University of San Francisco, where he would meet
John Ilnicki.
"We were both cast into the same dorm room for
two years, developing a relationship that would
last the next 40,"¥ Ilnicki said. "I had moved
into the dorm room first and the hall monitor
asked me if I had a problem sharing a room with a
black guy from Spokane. It was probably the best
decision of my life that I said "ÿno.'"¥
Ilnicki said he left his dorm room that night to
attend a movie with friends and came back to find
Elliott in the shadows.
"He stood up, out of the dark and said, "ÿcall me
Bo,'"¥ Ilnicki said. "His family called him
"ÿJames,' but I knew him as nothing but "ÿBo.'"¥
Ilnicki said he shared many long nights with
Elliott, working on the USF campus newspaper,
"The Foghorn."¥
"Bo was the sports editor and I was the night
managing editor,"¥ Ilnicki said. "We would both be
sitting at our little desks, typing away, writing
the newspaper."¥
In 1966, Elliott found his calling in the USF ROTC
program, Ilnicki said.
"I didn't like the ROTC program, but Bo loved
it,"¥ Ilnicki said. "He went onto officer training
school and we kept in contact constantly. Except
for Vietnam, we spoke at least once a week for the
rest of his life."¥
Drafted in 1968, Elliott went to Vietnam, first
slated as Artillery, but later as a helicopter
pilot, earning one of his two Purple Hearts when a
bullet shot through his left foot while his
helicopter was heading nose-first into battle.
"The bullet went between his big toe and his
second toe, right through his foot and seriously
wounded his co-pilot,"¥ Ilnicki said. "He was in
the hospital for months, lucky to walk again."¥
After returning for another tour in Vietnam,
Elliott was later awarded the Silver Star for
rescuing soldiers out of a killing field, Ilnicki
said.
"He came out of Vietnam with a lot of 8mm film
which he later transferred to video,"¥ Ilnicki
said. "It gave me a chance to see him flying
around."¥
Elliott left Vietnam in 1971, heading to Eastern
Washington State College, earning a bachelor's
degree in Government in 1975 while a member of
EWSC ROTC. While at EWSC, Elliott's personality
helped him as a dignitary tour guide for EXPO '74.
"I could always call Bo because he read USA
Today cover-to-cover and could tell me everything
about everything,"¥ Ilnicki said. "The guy could
talk on any level, had the softest shoulder for
anyone. I was amazed at his memorial to find so
many people he had that affect on; I thought he
was only there for me."¥
Elliott was often courted to go to Washington,
D.C., but requested duty around the Pacific Rim,
Ilnicki said.
"He was a soldier's soldier and refused to become
a "ÿhorse-holder' at the Pentagon,"¥ Ilnicki
said."A "ÿhorse-holder' is the guy holding the
horse of a general, in order to get noticed by the
upper ranks for promotion. Bo would never do it."¥
"He wanted to go to the Gulf in 1991, but Colin
Powell wouldn't transfer him,"¥ Ilnicki said.
As he was promoted through the ranks to Colonel,
Elliott's career led him to the distinction of
marching the last troops out of The Presidio in
San Francisco in 1994.
"I always expected to pin a General's star on one
of his shoulders with his mother pinning a star on
the other, but it never happened,"¥ Ilnicki said.
Throughout his 30-year career, Elliott was also
awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, a Joint
Service Command Medal, six Vietnam Service
Medals, two Bronze Stars, three Legion of Merits,
two Distinguished Flying Crosses and Three
Meritorious Service Medals.
One of Elliott's constant campaigns had nothing to
do with the military, Ilnicki said.
"My wife Brenda had a little, one-zipper, purple
purse, the size of an envelope that she brought to
Hawaii while visiting Bo one time,"¥ Ilnicki said.
"The zipper broke, she threw it in the garbage,
but Bo took it out and put it back in her luggage.
When Brenda got home, she found the purple purse
and saved it until the next time she saw it, when
she hid it somewhere for him to find."¥
Ilnicki said that the entire episode was only
known between Elliott and Brenda.
"They kept this going for 27 years,"¥ Ilnicki
said. "She would hide it on him, then he would
wait until the next time he saw her and hide on
her."¥
The purple purse found its way into Elliott's
military career, Ilnicki said.
"Bo was always embarrassed about wearing his
dressed blues at ceremonies because he had more
medals than some generals,"¥ Ilnicki said. "While
getting a promotion, he found Brenda's purse
hiding in his uniform."¥
Having possession of the purse upon hearing of
Elliott's death, Brenda knew the perfect place for
it to be, Ilnicki said. She put the purse in the
casket with Elliott.
Elliott's last assignment was near Washington,
D.C. February 25, 2004. He became one of 280,000
in Arlington National Cemetery.
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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