Editing Jim Webb (section)

==Early life and education==
Webb was born in [[St. Joseph, Missouri]], to James Henry Webb, and his wife, Vera Lorraine (Hodges).<ref name=WARGS>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wargs.com/political/webb.html|title=The Ancestors of James Webb|last=Reitwiesner|first=William Addams|publisher=WARGS}}</ref> The second of four children and the older son, he grew up in a military family, moving frequently as his father's career in the [[United States Air Force]] required. The family crisscrossed the country, living in Missouri, Illinois, [[Texas]], Alabama, Nebraska, California, and Virginia, as well as in England, where his father was an exchange officer with the [[Royal Air Force]].<ref>{{cite book |first=James |last=Webb |title=I Heard My Country Calling: A Memoir |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2014 |page=59 |isbn=978-1476741123}}</ref> His father flew [[B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17s]] and [[B-29 Superfortress|B-29s]] during World War II, and flew Air Force cargo aircraft during the 1948-49 [[Berlin airlift]]. After developing an inner ear disorder, [[Meniere's Disease]], he became a pioneer in the Air Force missile program, later serving as the commanding officer of the 1001st Missile Squadron at [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]]. Webb's parents are buried at the [[Arlington National Cemetery]].

Webb is descended from [[Ulster Scots people|Scots-Irish]] immigrants from [[Ulster]] who [[Immigration to the United States|emigrated]] in the mid-18th century to the British [[Thirteen Colonies|North American colonies]]. Webb's 2004 book ''Born Fighting: How the [[Scotch-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] Shaped America'' details his family history, noting that his ancestors fought in every major American war. A 2014 [[Television documentary|TV documentary]] on the [[Smithsonian Channel]], also entitled ''Born Fighting'', was adapted from Webb's book and is narrated by him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/series/799/born-fighting|title=Born Fighting|work=Smithsonian Channel|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=December 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230043321/http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/series/799/born-fighting|archive-date=December 30, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Webb attended more than a dozen schools across the U.S. and in England. After graduating from high school in [[Bellevue, Nebraska]], he attended the [[University of Southern California]] on a [[Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps]] scholarship from 1963 to 1964<ref name=bioguide-webb>{{cite web| work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=w000803 |title= WEBB, James H. (Jim), (1946 - ) |publisher=bioguide.congress.gov |access-date=September 15, 2015}}</ref> and he also was a member of [[Delta Chi]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Heller|first1=Chris|title=Greek Life: Which Lawmakers Pledged Fraternities?|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/pictures-video/greek-life-which-lawmakers-pledged-fraternities-pictures-20110913|website=Nationaljournal.com|publisher=National Journal Group Inc.|access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref> In 1964, Webb earned appointment to the [[United States Naval Academy]] in [[Annapolis, Maryland]]. At Annapolis, Webb was a member of the Brigade Honor Committee and the Brigade Staff. When he graduated in 1968,<ref name=EPSusa>{{cite web|title=EPS Bernard L. Schwartz Syposium:The Economic and Security Future|url=http://www.epsusa.org/events/1114conf/participantbios.htm|publisher=Economists for Peace and Security|date=17 November 2014|access-date=3 May 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144046/http://www.epsusa.org/events/1114conf/participantbios.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> he received the Superintendent's Letter for Outstanding Leadership.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senator Webb accepting U.S. service academy applications|url=http://www.progress-index.com/article/20110721/News/307219939|website=The Progress-Index|publisher=Gatehouse Media, Inc|access-date=3 May 2015}}</ref> After his medical retirement from the Marine Corps due to injuries suffered in Vietnam, Webb enrolled in law school at [[Georgetown University]] where he earned a Juris Doctor and received the Horan Award for excellence in legal writing.<ref name=EPSusa/>