History of USS Burns, track chart, and operations list, and citation.
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.
The collection contains four items from Captain James P. Jamison's service aboard USS Burns (DD-588) during World War II. It includes a copy of the citation awarding the silver star medal to Jamison for honorable service as gunnery officer aboard USS Burns during a battle with enemy Japanese forces on 30 January 1944. There is an operations list and a track chart for USS Burns during service in the Pacific, and typed history of USS Burns.
Gift of Capt. James P. Jamison, USN (Ret)
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Processed by Allison N. Miller, February 2016.
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