James J. Mulhair was born November 18, 1923, in Presho, South Dakota to John (Edward) Mulhair and Mable (Beckett) Mulhair. His parents moved to Parker, South Dakota into his grandparent’s old homestead. Jim graduated from Parker High School in 1941.

Jim enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. He left Parker on 11/11/41, for Great Lakes Training Station, first stopping in Sioux Falls, SD to see his cousin Bob and wife Maxine. Bob and Maxine wrote, "It seems like yesterday when we told him best wishes and stay safe."

F3C James J. Mulhair shipped out on Christmas day. He was in California for two days in January and then left for the Pacific. His last contact with land was at Easter time when he was in Hawaii and supplies and mail were brought out to his ship. The convoy ship Hammon that F3C Mulhair was on was a decoy going out within sight of the enemy then changing course for another sighting so they could be counted more than once. He was in seven battles before Midway.

The Hammon destroyer was trying to take survivors off the Yorktown when it was hit by depth charges and sunk immediately on June 6, 1942. Navy F3C James J. Mulhair was in the torpedo room and was killed immediately.

Survivors at the time of Navy F3C James J. Mulhair’s death were his parents John and Mable Mulhair, his four brothers Charles, Daniel, Jack, and Bill, and his three sisters Maxine, Monica, and Barbara.

A fellow crewman Robert (Bob) Scheafer witnessed F3C Mulhair’s death. Bob was one of the twenty-four survivors and was taken to the Marine Hospital in San Francisco. F3C Mulhair’s sister Maxine was a nurse at that hospital and she met Bob. Bob explained what happened to Maxine’s brother to her, and they became friends. Later they fell in love and were married on January 6, 1943, in San Francisco.

F3C Mulhair was buried at Honolulu. A monument was placed at Saint Christina’s cemetery in Parker, South Dakota in F3C Mulhair’s honor.

Relatives surviving today in include brothers Jack and Bill, both of California, sister Barbara Brandon of Minnesota, and various cousins, nieces, and nephews.

This entry was respectfully submitted by Amy Brandt and Autumne Good, 11^th Grade, Parker High School, Parker, South Dakota, April 30, 2002. Information for this entry was provided by Mr. Robert Mulhair, cousin of Navy F3C James J. Mulhair, and his wife Maxine Mulhair, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.