James Burnett

Birthplace: Elbow, Canada

Branch of Service: Navy

Theater of Operation: Pacific

Enlisted / Commissioned: Aug 19, 1943

Discharged: May 6, 1946

Highest Rank: Storekeeper, Third Class

Military Honors: Victory Medal; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four stars; and Navy Good Conduct Medal.

Honored By: Dennis J Brungardt, nephew

James had just turned 19 years old and had been working as a service station attendant. He was inducted into the United States Navy and received training at USNTS Farragut, Idaho.

James was assigned to the USS Corregidor (CVE-58), a Casablanca-class escort carrier, which joined Carrier Division 24 and participated in the Gilbert Islands invasion (Nov–Dec 1943); the Marshall Islands campaign (Kwajalein, Jan–Mar 1944); the Bismarck Sea landings at Emirau (Mar 1944); the Hollandia landings in New Guinea (Apr 1944); the invasion of Saipan (Jun 1944); and the bombardment and air cover for Guam (Jul 1944).

James reentered the US Navy on February 3rd, 1953, and served until January 28th, 1959. (In 1956, James participated in the Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Tests and then went to the Aleutian Islands (Alaska) for decontamination and for secret Search & Rescue Missions.)