James was born on the 12th of January 1940, in Towns, Georgia, where he grew up with his brother on a 3,000-acre farm. He attended and graduated from Lumber City High School in 1957 and went on to attend North Georgia College and State University. James transferred to Auburn University, where he received his draft notice during his junior year and graduated with a degree in civil engineering. He had planned to join the US Army, but a Marine Corps recruiter was able to convince James to join the Marines.

James received a commission to Second Lieutenant in June of 1962 and had no long-term goals of remaining in the military beyond three years. He was sent to Okinawa with a transplacement battalion meant to relieve an entire battalion instead of individual Marines. James spent about thirteen months off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam, as well as in the country, before returning to the States and to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island as a training regiment series commander. While in South Carolina, James met his wife, Sara, and decided to remain in the Marines. He was promoted to Captain in June of 1966 and served as the commanding officer of the Marine detachment on board the USS Wasp. The following year, he deployed to Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Division, and it was his actions on the 2nd of May 1968, that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commanding Officer, Company E, in action against enemy forces. Company E launched a determined assault on the heavily fortified village of Dai Do, which had been seized by the enemy on the preceding evening isolating a marine company from the remainder of the battalion. Skillfully employing screening agents, Capt. Livingston maneuvered his men to assault positions across 500 meters of dangerous open rice paddy while under intense enemy fire. Ignoring hostile rounds impacting near him, he fearlessly led his men in a savage assault against enemy emplacements within the village. While adjusting supporting arms fire, Capt. Livingston moved to the points of heaviest resistance, shouting words of encouragement to his marines, directing their fire, and spurring the dwindling momentum of the attack on repeated occasions. Although twice painfully wounded by grenade fragments, he refused medical treatment and courageously led his men in the destruction of over 100 mutually supporting bunkers, driving the remaining enemy from their positions and relieving the pressure on the stranded marine company. As the two companies consolidated positions and evacuated casualties, a third company passed through the friendly lines launching an assault on the adjacent village of Dinh To, only to be halted by a furious counterattack of an enemy battalion. Swiftly assessing the situation and disregarding the heavy volume of enemy fire, Capt. Livingston boldly maneuvered the remaining effective men of his company forward, joined forces with the heavily engaged marines, and halted the enemy's counterattack. Wounded a third time and unable to walk, he steadfastly remained in the dangerously exposed area, deploying his men to more tenable positions and supervising the evacuation of casualties. Only when assured of the safety of his men did he allow himself to be evacuated. Capt. Livingston's gallant actions uphold the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.

James was evacuated to Hawaii to recover and when he returned to Okinawa, he learned that he and another Marine officer (Jay Vargas) had been nominated for the Navy Cross. Both of their nominations were upgraded to the Medal of Honor, and both received them from President Nixon on the 14th of May 1970, in a ceremony at the White House.

James would return to Vietnam one last time in March of 1975 as operations officer for the evacuation of Saigon. He then attended and graduated from Marine Corps Command and Staff College and went on to command the Marine Barracks in London. James earned a master’s degree in 1981 from the Air War College and returned to Paris Island to serve as the commanding officer of the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. By 1988, he had been promoted to Brigadier General and he commanded the Marine Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, California, during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. After 33 years and at the rank of Major General, James retired from the Marine on the 1st of September 1995.

Even though retired, James has kept very active by serving on the board of trustees of the National World War 2 Museum, speaking at events within the military community, and in 2010 he wrote a book called, “Noble Warrior: The Story of Maj Gen James E Livingston, USMC (Ret), Medal of Honor”. James Everette Livingston is currently 83 years old and lives in Charleston, South Carolina.