World War II Honoree

James 'Jim' David

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Idaho Falls, Idaho

Honored By

Davis Family

He turned 18 years old on December 6, 1941 the day before Pearl Harbor was bombed. He wanted to do his part, so he took a machinist's class and got a job in defense work at Bremerton Naval Yard in Seattle, Washington. He worked in a shipyard for two years and then joined the Navy. He was sent to schools in Chicago, Illinois, Houston, Texas, and Treasure Island, California. After the schooling, he became a petty officer and was assigned to the USS Custer, a transport ship. He served in the South Pacific war zone as a radio technician. His ship carried numerous occupation troops to the South Seas and Japan. On August 15, 1945, they were in Pearl Harbor when they received word that Japan had surrendered. After the war was over, his ship had to sail to Japan to drop off the 6th Army Regiment. When he was formerly released from the Navy he received a letter of appreciation sent from Washington.