Lt. James C. Owens, Jr. (191?-1942)

KIA, Midway, June 4, 1942
Awarded Navy Cross

“Jimmy” Owens was born on December 5, 1910. His father owned a lumber yard in Los Angeles. Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he had been a navy pilot for six years. He was brown-haired with chubby cheeks and a stocky frame, and played quarterback for the University of Southern California. After graduation, he was appointed a Naval Aviation Cadet. Following flight training at Pensacola, Fla., he served on board the carrier, Lexington (CV-2), and in September 1941, joined Torpedo Squadron 8. It was said he had two loves in his life, first, his wife Carolyn, and second, the navy.