Navy CDR James Rowney – Pearl Harbor
Not only is this a visually appealing US Special Passport from 1955 that remains in 
near-mint and unused condition, but it also has a notable ownership history as it was once held by a US Navy Commander who served in both World War II (at Pearl Harbor and Midway) and the Korean War. Commander Rowney Pearl Harbor
James Victor Rowney
was born (November 11, 1917) in Baltimore, MD. Rowney belonged to the Maryland National Guard (1935-1937) and U.S. Naval Reserve (1937). He received an appointment (1937) to the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) and graduated in 1941.
During World War II, Rowney was assigned to the aircraft carriers USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) and USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) in the Pacific Theatre and participated in the occupation of Japan.
After the war, he pursued aeronautical engineering at the Naval Academy and Caltech (1949-1950). In the Korean War, he commanded VF 112 on USS PHILIPPINE SEA and later led Carrier Air Group 7.
From 1959 to 1961, Rowney was assigned to the Bureau of Aeronautics. From 1962 to 1965, he taught at the Academy, then commanded two Naval Air Stations in California until 1968. Captain Rowney retired on July 31, 1968, receiving commendations and service ribbons.
USS Enterprise Commander Rowney Pearl Harbor
USS Enterprise (CV-6) played a key role in major WWII battles, including Midway, Eastern Solomon, Santa Cruz, and Leyte Gulf.
On three separate occasions during the Pacific War, the Japanese announced that she had been sunk in battle, earning her the name “The Grey Ghost”. Enterprise earned 20 battle stars, the most for any U.S. warship in World War II, and became the most decorated US ship of World War II.
USS Yorktown
The USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) participated in several campaigns of WWII in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Decommissioned post-WWII, she returned in the 1950s as an attack carrier and later an antisubmarine carrier. Despite missing the Korean War, she earned five battle stars in Vietnam.
Late in her career, she served as a recovery ship for the Apollo 8 space mission, which was used in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! recreated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and in the science fiction film The Philadelphia Experiment.
Yorktown was decommissioned in 1970 and in 1975 became a museum ship at Patriot’s Point, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She is a National Historic Landmark. Commander Rowney Pearl Harbor
Joyner Library (East California University) manuscript collection of Rowney
The correspondence and orders pertain to Rowney’s different assignments and include forms for change of duty stations, commissions, temporary additional duty, personal letters of congratulations from Dwight D. Eisenhower, and documentation for all the awards and citations, including The Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Gold Star, and Air Medal.
Miscellaneous materials include a report on missions flown by Rowney (July 10-August 13, 1945) and an aircraft action report for Bomber-Fighter Group 88 (July 25, 1945) while attached to the YORKTOWN and aircraft carrier USS SHANGRI-LA (CV-38) near the end of World War II. Other items consist of a piece of cloth printed with an American flag and several languages explaining that the holder of this item is a downed American pilot and that any assistance rendered would be rewarded by the U.S. government.
Also, present is an emblem of the “Fighting 88”, a “Crossing the Arctic Circle” certificate from the Royal Order of the Blue Noses, a history of Carrier Air Group 7 (1957), and biographical information on Rowney. The bulk of the collection comprises three scrapbooks and photographs concerning Rowney’s naval career. The first scrapbook (1941-1942) documents the actions of the USS ENTERPRISE with hand-drawn charts including one showing the ship’s location on certain dates, the battles fought, and the positions of the sunken aircraft carriers USS LEXINGTON (CV-2) and USS HORNET (CV-8).
Scrapbooks Commander Rowney Pearl Harbor
The scrapbook displays hand-drawn charts depicting the Battle of Midway and the composition of Task Forces. It also details actions in Guadalcanal and the damage to the ENTERPRISE on August 24, 1942.
Photographs
The photographs in the scrapbook vividly depict the damage suffered by the ENTERPRISE and the Solomon Islands from August 7 to 9, 1942. Moreover, it highlights ENTERPRISE casualties on August 25, 1942. The book actively incorporates ship plans, war bulletins, and news articles on various war aspects.
1943-1945
The 1943-1945 scrapbook beautifully captures memories of ENTERPRISE, USS YORKTOWN, Carrier Air Group 88, and Pacific Theatre events. It includes construction details and a YORKTOWN tracking chart. Alongside, it features a diverse collection of magazines and newspaper clippings documenting the war and YORKTOWN.
Someone removed the photographs from the book. They are located in a separate file and primarily concern the occupation of Japan after its surrender. Fascinating photos showcase bomb damage in Tokyo, atomic devastation in Hiroshima, the emperor’s palace, POW camps, and diverse ships.. Commander Rowney Pearl Harbor
1956-1957
The third scrapbook, 1956-1957, highlights Rowney’s role as CO of Carrier Air Group 7, attached to USS SARATOGA and USS TICONDEROGA. Engaged in NATO exercises, including “Operation Lantflex” off Mayport, Florida, and “Operation Strikflant” over the Norwegian Sea in September 1957.
Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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