Interview with James (Jim) Phinney, an aircraft electrician for the U. S. Navy during Wold War II. He discusses joining the Navy, going through boot camp and becoming an aircraft electrician. He was assigned to the USS Lexington but abandoned ship after it was hit by a torpedo. He was rescued and was then sent to San Diego to be reassigned to the USS Enterprise. He mentions being at Guadalcanal and later aboard a sub-chaser. The crew crossed the Equator and consequently participated in an initiation ceremony, during which time Admiral Halsey was nearly shot by one of the ship's pilots who forgot to lock his gun. He also recalls some of the food he ate while at sea.

Transcript of an oral interview with James (Jim) Phinney. He begins by discussing joining the Navy, going through boot camp and becoming an aircraft electrician. He was assigned to the USS Lexington and describes abandoning ship after it was hit by torpedos and the aftermath of getting rescued then going to San Diego to be reassigned to the USS Enterprise. He mentions being at Guadalcanal and later aboard a sub-chaser and ancedotes about the crossing the equator initiation ceremony, a time Admiral Halsey almost got shot by one of the ship's pilots who forgot to lock up his guns and some of the food he ate while at sea.