James William Brune
James William Brune was born on 31-Dec 1917 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the son of Henry Brune (1884-1960) and Amelia Thelka Hoeing Brune (1888-1985). His father worked in a shoe factory. He had six sisters: Helen, Mildred, Teresa, Lucille, Amalia and Henrietta. James graduated from Southside Catholic High School in 1935. The family lived in 1930 at 2619 Ohio Avenue and in 1940 at 3621-A Tennessee Street in St. Louis, MO.
His younger sister, Lucille, enlisted in the WACS in May 1943.James enlisted in the Navy on 7-SEP 1940. His service number was 4110444. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Arizona.
On December 6, 1941, the Arizona returned to its base at Pearl Harbor. The next morning, at approximately 7:55 AM, Japan launched a surprise attack on the naval base. For nearly two hours, more than 350 Japanese aircraft—which included torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters—dropped bombs on U.S. vessels. At approximately 8:10 AM, the Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound (800-kg) projectile. The impact caused munitions and fuels to ignite, creating a massive explosion that reportedly lifted the battleship out of the water. As it sank, the ship was struck by more bombs. In addition, some claimed that the Arizona was also hit by torpedoes, though no evidence was found to support that assertion. While 334 crew members survived, the death toll on the Arizona was 1,177 and remain entombed on the ship today.
Rm 3/c James William Brune was Killed in Action on the USS ARIZONA(BB-39) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii on Dec. 7th, 1941. His body remains entombed on the ship today.
James W. Brune was eligible for the following commendations and medals:
- Purple Heart
- American Campaign Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
- World War II Victory Medal
- Good Conduct Medal
James William Brune’s name is listed on the Arizona Memorial and on the Court of the Missing in the National Cemetery of the Pacific.
For more of the story, click on the pdf below:
KIA 7-DEC 1941-James William Brune
