James Warren David was born in Youngsville, Louisiana in January 1926. During the Great Depression, his father and grandfather had his own blacksmith shop, lumber yard, farm, and two trucks. David went to school and graduated high school in 1943. David remembered he was coming out of the theater when someone told him the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He soon realized that war would begin. He enlisted in the Navy in July 1943, soon after he graduated from high school. He knew that the Navy secured him with three meals a day and a dry bed. He also liked water and boats. He was sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] for boot camp. He was taught about sailing, boating, plane recognition, military weapons, etc. The physical part was easy for David because he was an athlete in high school running track, boxing, and playing basketball. In December 1943, he went to amphibious training school for six weeks where he was trained how to operate LCVPs, also known as landing craft vehicle, personnel or "Higgins boats." This was the landing craft used extensively in amphibious landings. He was trained in San Diego and it came easy for David because he grew up driving small boats. On the night of 31 December 1943, he boarded a ship to cross the Pacific. It took 29 days to get to Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands]. David was a little homesick because he was one of the few men who spoke French as his native tongue. He later met a plantation owner on Guadalcanal who he was able to converse with on the island.

James Warren David remembered that the ship was full of people. The beds stacked nine bunks high. He recalled that he received two meals a day, mostly soup and bread. They would shower on the deck when it was raining outside. They arrived at Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] and stayed there for a short time, then he was sent to Tulagi Island [Annotator's Note: Tulagi, Solomon Islands], and lived in a tent city. Everyday he would wake up and take the boats to an island off Tulagi and train and repair boats, then return to his tent city, eat dinner, and go to bed. He remembers the weather as hot and rainy, and the terrain was jungle. David made a makeshift shower for his unit [Annotator's Note: Boat Pool 12, Southern Attack Force]. In his down time, they would play games and swim in the ocean. David remarked that they were required to wear their helmets all the time because coconuts would fall and drop on people. He experienced Japanese aerial attacks at the beginning of his duty on Tulagi. There was one plane that would fly low every night to drop bombs and when he finally got on the Navy's radar, he was shot down. Later they found out it was a German pilot in a Japanese plane.

James Warren David recalled always having the supplies they needed while living on the island [Annotator's Note: on Tulagi, Solomon Islands]. He got tired of eating mutton all the time. He was based on Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] for nine months. When most of the area was secured, he was transferred to the USS Palm (AN-28) which was responsible for laying down anti-submarine nets in the water. He would lay the nets and buoys along the beach. He also did a lot of welding on the ship. David recalled an event where a coconut plantation owner told the Navy that there was a submarine in a cove near his house. The USS Palm went over to the cove and found the submarine. They slowly brought it up drilling holes in it so the water could drain out. When they got to the hatch, they went inside and found dead Japanese and a black box full of sensitive information for the Japanese military. Even though maneuvering and working the Higgins boats [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP] could be difficult at times, David prefer driving the boats to his assignment on the USS Palm. David recalled he never received any leave during his time in the Solomon Islands. David remarked that the Japanese were tough and committed a lot of atrocities.

James Warren David recalled a time while he was in Pool Boat 12 when a Chaplain and local representative wanted to go inland to check on the natives of the island, so David was chosen to take them. They could not find any natives so as they were returning, they saw the Native Chief on the bank. The Chaplain and the Chief swapped several souvenirs. David was given a war club and he still has it today. He was able to keep up with what was going on at home by writing to his family and girlfriend. David was transferred to the USS Palm (AN-28) to work as a shipfitter for four months, and then was shipped back to the United States to do military service stateside at the beginning of 1945. He was given a 30 day leave and got married. He received orders to report to Charleston [Annotator's Notes: Charleston, South Carolina] assigned to the USS Arthur L. Bristol (APD-97), a fast attack destroyer, for preparations for the Pacific theater war. He recalled doing lots of welding work. Three days before they were about to set sail, the war ended. He was discharged in New Orleans around November 1945, returned home, and attend SLI [Annotator's Note: Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning; now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette]. David was ready to get back in civilian life and did not want to talk about his experience during World War 2.

James Warren David explains how the LCVPs [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP] loaded up troops from their transport ships when they prepare for a beach invasion. He recalled that they discovered lots of obstacles, for example, some of the LCVPs would hit sand bars. Once they unloaded the troops, they were to return immediately back to the ship and take the next load of troops. He had to do this for four days straight without stopping. He remembered being sick of eating sandwiches. The crew took turns sleeping near the motor of the boat. They had tanks nearby to keep all the boats full of fuel. During rough weather conditions, it was best to keep the boat moving. He saw a boat flip with a full load of troops during rough weather.

James Warren David remarked how he missed eating fresh eggs, roast beef, gravy, seafood, and cous-cous, and other Cajun food. He recalled the Navy giving him plenty of food, but it was all bland. When he finally returned to the United States, his first meal was a fried egg sandwich and a glass of milk. He recalled he could not eat very much for a while because his stomach had shrunk. He remarked how being a physical boy during school really sustained him during World War 2. He boxed while he was in high school and in the Navy. His last fight was against a collegiate champion and he was defeated. When David returned to the United States, he had no doubt in his mind that America was going to win the war because of all the advancements the military had achieved since the beginning of the war. David was discharged in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] as a 2nd Class Shipfitter, a Petty Officer, shortly after the war was declared over. He went to college on the G. I. Bill, and during this time he was also in the Navy Reserves in Lafayette [Annotator's Note: Lafayette, Louisiana]. They made him a seaman instructor at his Reserve meetings. He could not find a job after he graduated with an agricultural degree, so in May 1949, he passed tests to become a commissioned officer. He was sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] and was assigned to an Amphibious Force.

James Warren David was assigned to an LSD [Annotator's Notes: Landing Ship, Dock] and shipped off to Korea and was part of the invasion at Incheon. The tide was very high, and they had to maneuver around mines, which made it difficult to achieve their missions at times. His LSD had a helicopter at one time, and he was able to go for a ride. He served one year in the Korean War. David did not think that he would have been able to go to school without the G.I. Bill. He believes that World War 2 changed his life in many ways. David stayed in the Navy for 23 years before retiring.

James Warren David recalled getting seasick occasionally, especially if the conditions were rough. After serving in the Korean War, he served on various ships and fleets. He also spent two years in London [Annotator's Note: London, England] as the United Kingdom Transportation Officer. When he was a harbor pilot at De Nang [Annotator's Note: De Nang, Vietnam]. There were a couple of horrible incidents; one where someone was killed on the job and the other when David injured his neck and was taken to a hospital. Eventually, he was taken back to the United States and retired shortly after.

James Warren David was sent to Pensacola [Annotator's Note: Pensacola, Florida] for rehabilitation. He was transferred to Saufley Field [Annotator's Note: Pensacola, Florida] for light duty before he retired from the Navy as a full lieutenant in July 1968. He then began teaching high school. David did not think America should have been in the Vietnam war, but that did not stop him from doing his duty.

James Warren David believed that World War 2 was a patriotic war and people were very positive at the time. The war changed his life because he was able to go to college because of the G.I. Bill. There was one event that he remembered when an ammunition ship blew up near the Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands], and only three people survived. The next day, David and other Navy men went out to where the ship blew up and he saw bodies and body parts floating in the water. There were some Seabees [Annotator's Note: members of US naval construction battalions] that came out on a barge to help pick up the body parts. David believes that knowing your history is the best way to go forward in life. He believes its important to have an institution like The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana].