“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.
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