He Was Only Nineteen

Remembering a Navy Veteran I Never Met

Over the weekend, I found myself thinking again about a young Navy veteran who was a friend of my mother. His name was James Henry Joyner, but I believe my mother always referred to him as J.H. Many years ago, she showed me a letter she had received from him after he was called up for service, in which he stated that he had a premonition that he was going to die. Sadly, his premonition proved true.

James was serving aboard the USS Rich, a destroyer escort. An entry on the Naval History page on Facebook describes what happened to his ship.

On June 8, 1944, the United States Navy destroyer escort USS Rich (DE-695) suffered a tragic loss while operating off the coast of Normandy, France. Serving as escort and protection for the Allied fleet following the D-Day landings, the ship struck a naval mine that exploded amidships, causing catastrophic damage.

The explosion occurred after the USS Rich had previously struck another mine that struck the stern, damaging the rudder and propellers. These two consecutive hits caused the ship to lose power and stability for a short time, ultimately sinking.

James Henry Joyner was not quite twenty years old when he died. His parents, George Henry and Martha Joyner, died in the early 1970’s and his brother, Douglas, also a friend of my mother, died in 2005. I have a vague memory of visiting James’ parents in their modest home.

Seeing the letter that James wrote to my mother has been a poignant memory. After her death, when we cleaned out her house, I searched diligently for the letter, but did not find it. Regardless, eighty-two years after he gave his life for our country, James Henry Joyner is not forgotten.