JAMES H. MCPHERSON, LCDR, USN
James McPherson '41
Lucky Bag
From the 1941 Lucky Bag:
JAMES HAUHUTH McPHERSON
Vallejo, California
Jim is a real outdoorman and a true son of the West. Deep down in his heart is ever the longing and yearning to roam through the canyons and over the hills of sunny California, gun in hand, ready to shoulder and fire at the distant sight of that pair of horns which thrills the nerves of every huntsman. Much of the evening's study period is spent in the wilds of that Western state rather than in the grim realities of the next day's lessons. But Jim can afford to dream, for he has been free from academic worries ever since he threw away his French grammar.
His love of action and outdoor life have made him an active participant in athletics. Each afternoon finds him working hard at one of those sports in which his tireless energy and perseverance have won many points for the Gold and Blue. May he shoot as squarely when behind the guns of the Fleet as he has here with his tennis racket, his epee, and with his classmates.
Fencing 4, 3, 2, 1 N*, Captain; Tennis 4, 3, 2 N.
The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.
JAMES HAUHUTH McPHERSON
Vallejo, California
Jim is a real outdoorman and a true son of the West. Deep down in his heart is ever the longing and yearning to roam through the canyons and over the hills of sunny California, gun in hand, ready to shoulder and fire at the distant sight of that pair of horns which thrills the nerves of every huntsman. Much of the evening's study period is spent in the wilds of that Western state rather than in the grim realities of the next day's lessons. But Jim can afford to dream, for he has been free from academic worries ever since he threw away his French grammar.
His love of action and outdoor life have made him an active participant in athletics. Each afternoon finds him working hard at one of those sports in which his tireless energy and perseverance have won many points for the Gold and Blue. May he shoot as squarely when behind the guns of the Fleet as he has here with his tennis racket, his epee, and with his classmates.
Fencing 4, 3, 2, 1 N*, Captain; Tennis 4, 3, 2 N.
The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.
Loss
From Find A Grave:
Having become a Naval Aviator, by Summer of 1945, LCDR McPherson was attached to the Squadron VF-16, based on the USS RANDOLPH (CV-15), flying a Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat (BUNO 77830). His aircraft was lost in Shikoku (Empire Area) on 13 AUG 1945, just two days before the announcement of the intended surrender of the Japanese. He was officially declared dead on 16 August 1946
He was shot down "likely over Tokyo Bay."
Other Information
His parents were listed as next of kin.
Photographs
From the tennis page of the Lucky Bag
Silver Star
From Hall of Valor:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Lieutenant James Hauhuth McPherson (NSN: 0-100312), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron SIXTEEN (VF-16), attached to the U.S.S. RANDOLPH (CV-15), in the bombing of the enemy battleship HYUGA in Kure Harbor on 24 July 1945. He skillfully and courageously piloted his aircraft in a bombing attack in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire scoring a hit with his bomb which contributed materially to the sinking of the ship. His skill and courage were at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific: Serial 033727 (August 27, 1945)
Action Date: 24-Jul-45
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Company: Fighting Squadron 16 (VF-16)
Division: U.S.S. Randolph (CV-15)
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
April 1941
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