James Odom was born in November 1925 in South Palo Pinto County, about 20 miles south of Mineral Wells, Texas. He grew up on a small farm and ranch that had no electricity or telephone. At the beginning of World War 2, Odom's father found employment at Camp Wolters. Odom was ignorant of what was developing in the rest of the world, and there were never any political discussions at home. In 1941, the family owned a small battery operated radio that they used on a limited basis. One Sunday after church and their midday meal, Odom heard the radio announcement about the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was a country boy who had never been more than 25 miles from home, and doesn't remember thinking it was anything outstanding. He looked upon it as someone else's project, and he didn't need to be involved. Once the United States entered the war, Odom's life changed drastically. He was drafted and traveled to Dallas for induction into the Navy.

James Odom was excited to travel into the unknown, leaving home on a Greyhound bus bound for Dallas, then taking his first train ride to San Diego. He knew nothing about war, but in basic training he could already see that life was going to be very different. Odom was living with strangers in barracks, undergoing rigorous training, drilling every morning, and standing in chow lines. Listening to others' conversations, he began to be concerned about what the future might hold. Another change came when he was assigned to the Hyperion [Annotator's Note: USS Hyperion (AK-107)]. His only prior nautical experience had been in a row boat in a river. Now Odom encountered rules and regulations, stood watch for obstacles and enemies, and performed ship maintenance. It was a lot of work, but he was young and physically able. His duties varied, sometimes cleaning, sometimes chipping rust and painting, sometimes searching the horizon for ships or islands. Odom worked irregular hours, and not all of them were peaceful. As Odom remembers, the Liberty ship had a small crew of 144 enlisted and 12 officers whose occupation consisted of moving supplies and troops. Odom likened it to working for a trucking firm, and although his was not a combat ship, they sometimes got into "noisy" situations. There was often opposition to their landings, including attacks from Zeros [Annotator's Note: Mitsubishi A6M fighter aircraft, also known as the Zeke or Zero] and Kamikazes. The Hyperion was not equipped with attack guns; they had to depend on escort ships to do their fighting for them.

James Odom recalled two big "fracases." In Leyte Bay, his ship was part of what he has been told was the largest assembly of military ships in history. Leyte River runs into the bay, and the Japanese had small craft armed with a torpedo on the bow whose mission was to race down the river and into the bay to ram into the side of an American ship. Its detonation would do severe damage. It took the Hyperion [Annotator's Note: USS Hyperion (AK-107)] several days to unload Seabees onto barges headed to the beach, because they were so often interrupted by raids. At night the Hyperion would send out small craft to pick up bodies from the LCVPs [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel, also referred to as Higgins boats.] Odom found this first foray into combat both exciting and frightening. [Annotator's Note: Odom laughs.] Odom encountered his first Kamikaze at Leyte, and found it hard to handle the idea of suicide. He claims he "collected a couple of little pellets" on this excursion, without immediately knowing he had been hit. A phosphorous bomb crashed into the ship, and Odom felt something warm and saw a little blood. He has been wearing those pellets ever since. The crew was constantly shifted among the deck guns, Odom observed, because on a good ship every man can replace another. Odom said they made a lot of noise, and his hearing now suffers from the effects. Okinawa was another trip without rest; by day the Hyperion was anchored in the bay and unloading Quonset huts, food, personnel and rolling equipment onto barges. At night, the ship would steam out into the ocean and circle, so as not to be a sitting target, The Japanese were attacking around the clock and the crew were at battle stations most of the time. It was very strenuous. [Annotator's Note: Odom casts his eyes downward and pauses.] However, there were no real casualties throughout it all. Odom's whole world changed again when the peace treaty was signed on the Missouri [Annotator's Note: USS Missouri (BB-63)], and he sailed from Guam to San Francisco.

After Okinawa, James Odom went back to Guam. They heard a "message to all ships" about the signing of the peace treaty. It was thrilling to hear the news; no one thought the end would be so abrupt. As far as his feelings toward the bombing of the Japanese, he said he felt no personal connection to them; he had been trained that they were the enemy. He and his shipmates knew little about bombs, and the descriptions they were given were incomprehensible. But the outcome was the end of all the nonsense and he knew he was on his way back to civilian life. Odom's return to San Francisco was a big party. Everyone in port was celebrating, and the sailors were happy to have fresh milk and vegetables. Odom was looking forward to his discharge, but that didn't happen right away. He sailed with the ship to Norfolk, Virginia, where it was decommissioned. Odom took leave to marry his high school sweetheart, then was stationed briefly at Camp Elliott in San Diego. After he was finally discharged, he went to work for an energy company and spent his entire civilian career, 37 and a half years, with the same employer.

James Odom remembered that most of the time he didn't know what the ship's [Annotator's Note: the USS Hyperion (AK-107)] next move would be; he recently heard they visited over well over 60 islands hauling supplies. Since he returned safely, he is happy to have had the experience, but wouldn't care to do it again. He knows his assignment was better than many: he always had good food and a bunk, got shore leave and saw different sights. He said "education" was the primary way in which the war changed his life. He feels that because of the war, America is better prepared and more knowledgeable about what is going on around the world, and it is a better, stronger country. He thinks the war created a generation or two of more capable and qualified people. On reflection, Odom thinks his most exciting experience was bringing the Hyperion through the canal [Annotator's Note: the Panama Canal] and seeing it through it's decommission. As a yeoman second [Annotator's Note: Yeoman 2nd Class (Y2c)], he was really involved, and it was a gratifying experience.