Glen James was conscripted to serve in Vietnam when he was 20 years old after receiving three letters from the conscription office. The first notice demanded the service of Glen James while the second rejected him on the grounds that he was Aboriginal, and the third confirming that his service was needed. He joined up in June 1968 at Puckapunyal, and later served from May 1969 to late April 1970 in Vietnam as a Sapper, in the Army Unit 17th Construction. After his tour of duty in Vietnam, he was discharged in Melbourne.
Glen began umpiring for the Victorian Football League (VFL), and was the first Indigenous umpire to officiate in a VFL/AFL game when he made his debut in 1977. In 1984, he umpired the Essendon-Hawthorn Grand Final, and was honoured as the Aboriginal of the Year in Victoria. In 1985, he was President of the VFL Umpires' Association and the National Football Umpires Association. Glen was also honoured with an Order of Australia medal in 1987, for his services to football and the community.
One of the game's most popular and respected umpires, James had the ability to mix it with the players without undermining his authority on the field. Glenn James umpired 166 games including 10 finals. (Source: Forgotten Heroes; Australian War Memorial website http://www.awm.gov.au; and Marngrook Footy Show, ABC website http://www.abc.net.au)
