Oral History Interview with James Watters, December 7, 2003

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with James Watters. Watters enlisted in the Naval Reserves in Los Angeles in November, 1940. Shortly afterwards, he was assigned to the USS New York (BB-34) for a training cruise, which went to Cuba. After 30 days on the battleship he applied to midshipman’s school in New York. Watters was commissioned and assigned to an aircraft squadron, VP-23, based at Pearl Harbor. Watters’ primary duty in the squadron was administrative but he also flew as a crewmember as the commander wanted his men to learn navigation, etc. He was on Ford Island on 7 December 1941 when the Japanese attacked. He recalls going to the hangar area and pushing planes away from burning ones. Eleven of the squadrons 12 airplanes (PBY) were damaged. Later, VP-23 were among the first supporting the initial Solomon Island campaign. After Watters returned, he was assigned to a PB4Y squadron. He served as liaison officer from the fall of 1942 to the spring of 1944. In March 1944, he rotated back to Olathe, Kansas where he was the assembly and repair officer at the air station. Watters separated from active duty in March 1946 as a lieutenant commander but stayed in the reserves until the 1950s