"The war became pretty personal at that point…"(Video interview, 24:58)

James Willis Downing

James Downing [detail from video] War: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953 Branch: Navy; Navy Unit: USS West Virginia (BB 48) Service Location: Washington, DC; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Pacific Theater Rank: Lieutenant

As postmaster aboard the USS West Virginia, James Downing knew his shipmates well--and had access to their addresses. In Honolulu when the first wave of the attack began, he rushed to the harbor and boarded the West Virginia. Surveying his wounded comrades on the sinking ship, he did his best to memorize their names, so that he could write to their parents and describe what had happened. Later in the day, he headed to the hospital, where he walked up and down the rows of beds, collecting names and brief messages from burn victims to send to their families.