James Pollock Jamison, a native of Pennsylvania, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1941. He served aboard USS
Decatur (DD-341) until January 1943, involved first in neutrality patrol in the Caribbean and later convoy duty the North Atlantic. He then served aboard USS
Burns (DD-588), where he was involved in landings and raids throughout the South Pacific, including the Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau, New Guinea, the Mariana Islands, and the Philippines. Jamison received a silver star for his service as gunnery officer aboard USS
Burns during action on 30 January 1944. In 1945, Jamison became executive officer on USS
Bordelon (DD-881) and commander of USS
Fogg (DE/DER-57). Jamison later served aboard USS
Robert H. McCard (DD-822) from 1952 to 1953 and as the director of technical and systems engineering within the Naval Ordnance System Commands beginning in 1968.
USS
Burns (DD-588) was a Fletcher-class destroyer for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The ship was launched on 8 August 1942 at Charleston Navy Yard and commissioned on 3 April 1943 with Commander D. T. Eller in command. USS
Burns served in various capacities on the Pacific Front, including anti-submarine escort, picket ship, fighter director ship, and aircraft rescue ship, for which the ship received ten battle stars. After the war, Burns was placed out of commission in reserve at San Diego, Calif. During the 1970s, the ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register and later sunk as a target.