World War II Honoree

James Peter Barrett

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

St. Cloud, Minnesota

Honored By

G. H. King

Relationship

Friend

ENLISTED 13 SEPTEMBER 1944, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING 17TH BIRTHDAY, FOR FOUR YEAR REGULAR NAVY MINORITY CRUISE DUTY. COMPLETED BOOT CAMP AT GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, ILLINOIS. COMPLETED AVIATION ORDINANCE SCHOOL AT NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. COMPLETED GUNNERY TRAINING AT ARLINGTON NAVAL AIR AUXILIARY FACILITY, WASHINGTON. WAS ASSIGNED TO CARRIER AIR SERVICE UNIT 7(F) BUT DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE WAR WAS NEARING END. RATING WAS SEAMAN FIRST CLASS (S1c). INSTEAD JOINED USS DELTA AR-9 REPAIR SHIP STATIONED AT YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE IN TOKYO BAY FOR GENERAL FLEET REPAIR WORK. WAS TIED ALONGSIDE THE USS MISSOURI DURING THE JAPANESE SURRENDER SIGNING. OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDED PREPARATION OF THE FORMER JAPANESE BATTLESHIP NAGATO FOR THE ATOMIC WEAPONS TESTS OF 1946 AT BIKINI. USS DELTA SERVED THE FLEET AT SHANGHAI FROM MARCH THROUGH JUNE 1946 PRIOR TO DECOMMISSIONING. TRANSFERRED TO USS KERMIT ROOSEVELT ARG-16 STATIONED IN HONG KONG ON STATION REPAIR SHIP DUTY. QUALIFIED AS DIVER AND SHIP FITTER. SEPARATED FROM SERVICE 11 SEPTEMBER 1947 AT RANK OF SHIP FITTER THIRD CLASS (SF3).