World War II Honoree

James E. Cornutt

Hometown

Central Point, Oregon

Honored By

Family

RATED AS 4F AND UNABLE TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY DURING WWII DUE TO CHILDHOOD TUBERCULOSIS. WANTING TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY IN SOME WAY, HE SIGNED ON AS A CONSTRUCTION WORKER WITH A CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO MIDWAY ISLAND ON A NAVY FREIGHTER, ARRIVING IN OCTOBER 1941. HE WAS THERE WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS BOMBED AND EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND ENEMY ACTION WHEN MIDWAY WAS ALSO SHELLED ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. HE TOLD OF PERSONALLY BURNING TORCHES AND WEARING A WHITE SHIRT TO HELP GUIDE U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT TO SAFE LANDINGS ON THE RUNWAY AT NIGHT. ON DECEMBER 14, 1941, IN A LETTER TO HIS FIANCEE, HE WROTE, 'I WILL BE HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT DON'T EXPECT ME VERY SOON AS I FEEL IT IS MY DUTY TO STAY HERE AS LONG AS I CAN AND DO MY SHARE FOR UNCLE SAM.' UPON BEING EVACUATED BACK TO THE MAINLAND, HE WAS AMONG 10,000 CIVILIAN PATRIOTS WHO BUILT CAMP WHITE, OREGON, HEADQUARTERS OF THE 91ST INFANTRY DIVISION, WHERE MORE THAN 120,000 MEN AND WOMEN SPENT TIME DURING WWII.