Jim Dunlap reminisces in his Old Littleton Road home. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

There are not many people who can say they were born and raised in Harvard. But James Dunlap Jr. of Old Littleton Road is not like many people. In his 92 years in Harvard, Dunlap has made significant contributions of his time and resources to his town and his country.

A World War II veteran who enlisted in the Army in 1942, Dunlap was attached to the 136th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion, which was tasked with shooting down the lethal bomb the Germans dubbed "vengeance weapon" or V1. (The V1 was more commonly known to Americans as the "buzz bomb" because of the distinctive noise it emitted in the air.) Dunlap's unit was instrumental in winning the Battle of the Bulge.

During his service Dunlap attained the rank of captain and was honorably discharged in 1946. In 2007 he gave a video-recorded interview with a student at Lawrence Academy, as part of the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The project has as its mission to "collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war."

Back home in Harvard, he has supported Harvard's commitment to conservation. He has volunteered with Boy Scouts, served on the School Committee, and was a longtime trustee of the Bromfield Trust.

Dunlap, the son of a school teacher and a hobbyist dandelion-wine maker, is a true Harvard original. His father, James Albion (Al) Dunlap Sr., came to Harvard in 1918 to serve as a math and science teacher and as school principal. At that time, the Bromfield House, which currently houses the superintendent's office, served as the residence for the principal and his family. The Dunlaps settled into the Bromfield House with their two daughters, and within a year of their arrival welcomed son James Albion Dunlap Jr., on March 3, 1919. James Jr. was delivered in one of the bedrooms of the Bromfield House by Doc Royal, town physician. Ironically, many years later, after the death of his first wife, Jim Jr. married Doc Royal's granddaughter, Nancy Royal Donaldson.

Al Dunlap remained the principal of the Bromfield School for 37 years; Jim Jr. graduated with the Class of 1936. He followed in the footsteps of his father and attended Bates College, where he minored in mathematics, graduating in 1940.

Jim Dunlap in 1942. (Courtesy photo)

Dunlap's connections to Harvard date back to the 1800s. His first wife, who died in 1986, was Grace Fuller Dudley. Her grandfather, Robert Oliver Fuller of Cambridge, owned the big farm on the corner of Old Littleton and Pinnacle roads. It was his summer residence and was considered a gentleman's farm. Fuller, who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the State Senate, and a member of the Electoral College, had extensive land holdings in Harvard.

In the early 1900s, the land was divided among Fuller's heirs. The "farmer's house" next to the main house was inherited by one of his daughters, who eventually passed it along to Grace and Jim. Over the years, the Dunlaps purchased the lands surrounding their property and across the street. In 1958, they built the home that Jim still lives in with his wife Nancy.

In 2006, Jim told his children he wanted to donate to the town 40 acres of land he owned on Old Littleton Road. With his children's support, and with a conservation restriction, his wish was granted by the Harvard Conservation Trust in 2007, and in 2008 the restricted land was gifted to the town of Harvard.

Dunlap spent his career as an actuary and retired as the director of William M. Mercer, Inc. in 1986. Now, he gets excited when talking about his grandchildren, including his new great-granddaughter, Meredith. And he likes to spend his days with Nancy, reading and doing crossword puzzles. His hard-bound Webster's Dictionary takes center stage on a podium in his living room. He says he turns to it often and is amazed to see how many new words he finds.