On December 7, 1941 Jimmy remembers being in his room at U.T. working on a project when the radio “blasted” the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Jimmy says that his worries about what to major in at the university were over. He began to concentrate on his Naval ROTC studies at school.
He was inducted into the Navy at the age of 18 on July 1, 1943. He received his commission as Lieutenant Junior Grade (later achieved Lieutenant) in February 1944.
Jimmy was assigned to the newly commissioned USS Hubbard and spent six months patrolling in the Atlantic. Then he was back on shore for four months of additional training at CIC school.
Jimmy was sent to the Pacific in 1944. He was tasked with several jobs while on board the (small ships) as he described them. In combat however, Jimmy’s job was that of Combat Information Center (CIC) commander.
His most memorable experiences were when he participated in the invasions of the Philippines, Iwo-Jima and Okinawa. During the invasion of the Philippines his ship carried troops to the beaches. During the invasions of Iwo-Jima and Okinawa, his ship patrolled around the islands offering fire support to Marines and soldiers on the ground fighting to gain a foothold under withering Japanese fire.
Jimmy says that he was only sixteen years old and only at U.T. for three months on the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He received his commission as an Ensign at the young age of eighteen. His naval training and serving aboard ships approaching the Japanese home islands had a strong effect on his life and maturity.
He was discharged from the Navy on July 1, 1946.
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