James Hamlin was on the USS Chicago at the Battles of the Coral Sea and Guadalcanal in 1942. Again, he was not hurt when a Japanese torpedo smashed the bow of the Chicago off Savo Island (by Guadalcanal). And, he escaped death again when the Chicago was sunk by Japanese planes January 29-30, 1943.
He was serving on the USS La Salle, a transport, when it landed Marines at the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943. He said, "I remember singing 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' when we put them ashore. A lot of them didn't make it though."
--GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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