James Murphy:
CLASS OF 1977
Blair High SchoolClass of 1977
Hattiesburg, MS
Jones County Junior CollegeClass of 1984
Ellisville, MS
Hawkins Junior High SchoolClass of 1974
Hattiesburg, MS
James's Story
Joined the Navy in Dec 1976 and went active duty in August of 1977.
After Basic training in Orlando FL, I went to Avionics school at NAS Millington TN.
I left Avionics School early, and was transferred to Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Nine (HS-9) in Jacksonville Florida.
HS-9 was attached to the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) out of Norfolk Virginia.
HS-9 was featured in the motion picture "The Final Countdown," and I actually had a small part in the film.
Got married, and deployed on my first cruise to the Mediterranean in September 1979.
We were dispatched from the Med. to transit to the Indian Ocean because of the Iranian Hostage Crisis,
crossing the equator and earning the ShellBack designation.
Nimitz launched the Helicopters for Operation Evening Light (Part of Operation Eagle Claw) in an attempt to rescue the Hostages.
We ended up spending 144 days at sea and returned to Jacksonville on May 21 1980.
I was advanced to Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class (E4) in December of 1980.
The next year (May 21, 1981 ) we were doing workups for the next cruise when an EA6B aircraft crashed on deck, killing 14 people.
I got out of the Navy in July of 1981, and enrolled in Jones County Junior College.
While in college, I got divorced.
I earned my Associates of Arts degree during the summer of 1983, and transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi studying Microbiology.
I 1984 I joined the Navy again and changed my specialty to Gunner's Mate (Guns).
I went to GM School at Great Lakes Illinois and after a year was promoted to Gunner's Mate Guns Second Class (E-5).
I was transferred to the USS O'Bannon (DD-987), a Spruance class Destroyer which was in the shipyards in Portland Main.
While attached to O'Bannon, I earned the NEC 0877 (5"/54 Caliber Gun Mod 0), NEC 0879 (5"/54 Caliber Gun Mod 1), and NEC 0812 (Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor)
I was also promoted to Gunner's Mate First Class (E-6)
O'Bannon was transferred back to Charleston, South Carolina after leaving the shipyard.
While on the O'Bannon, I made two cruises to the Persian Gulf.
During my stay in Charleston, we were hit by hurricane Hugo, which devistated the area.
I left the O'Bannon in September of 1990, and attended the Military Police Academy at Lackland Air Force Base, where I graduated as "Honor Graduate."
While on Leave, after school at Lackland, I married Leesha Ann Camp on October 27th 1990.
I reported for duty to the Security Department at NAS Key West, FL in December of 1990.
In 1991 I became a Feild Training Officer, in 1992 I became a Watch Commander, and in 1993 I was selected as Patrol Section Leader.
It was at NAS Key West that I shot my first "Perfect Score" on the Pist...Expand for more
ol Combat Qualification Course.
Leesha and I spent three years in Key West, loving nearly every minute.
I was transferred back to the fleet in 1994, reporting to the USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55), a Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser, for "Extremely Arduous Sea Duty" in January.
Shortly after reporting onboard, we deployed to the Red Sea, searching ships in support of NATO sanctions against IRAQ. Halfway through that deployment we were redirected to the
Persian Gulf because Iraq was building forces up on the Kuwait border. In the Perisan Gulf, My VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) Team was the first team in several years to bust a ship for carrying contraband Iraqi oil. After seizing the MV AL MAHROUSA, I spent a week onboard until we could turn it over to the Kuwait Navy.
during a training exercise, Leyte Gulf was involved in a collision with the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71). At the time of the Collision I was on watch in the Forward Gun Mount. I could hear the screetching metal, and the screws of the Roosevelt rotating beside us. Luckily nobody was seriously injured.
The next cruise was to the Mediterranian, Although the Roosevelt was dispatched to the Persian Gulf mid-cruise Leyte Gulf was allowed to remain in the Med.
In 1998 I transferred to Coastal Systems Station Panama City, FL where I was attached to the Armory. The Armory had a requirement for 2 people, but the Chief intercepted the orders of all Gunners Mates being stationed there, and we ended up with 5 people. The Chief said that our duty there was to make up for everything we missed while being at sea. While at Panama City, Leesha and I had our oldest Daughter "Katharine Ann" I was told not to report for work for 30 days.
I retired from the Navy on April 30, 2000.
I attended the "Law Enforcement Conversion Course" for out of state and Federal Officers in May 2000. It was at that time that I shot my second "Perfect Score" on the Handgun Qualification Course. (with a college revolver)
I ended up being hired by Wackenhut Security, and worked "Loss Prevention" as a Custom Patrol Officer (CPO) at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, and at Sallie Mae Financials until November 2000.
I quit work at Wackenhut and hired on at Averstar, a government contractor company on December 1, 2000 as an Associate Electro-Mechanical Systems Analyst.
Averstar was bought by TITAN, Titan was bought by L3 Communications, L3 Communications spun us off as Engility, and Engility was bought out by Science Applications International Company (SAIC).
in 2003 Leesha and I had our second daughter "Lara Jane."
I was promoted to Logistics Analyst in 2002, Logistics Analyst II in 2006, and to Engineer Logistics 3 in 2018.
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