James C. Rogers
USS Hornet CVS 12
1958-1961
Jim was born March 3, 1940 in Iowa City, Iowa and lived there until enlisting in the U.S. Naval Reserve while a junior in High School 1957. He graduated from Iowa City High School in June 1958. He was assigned to the USS Hornet when the ship was in the Bremerton Ship Yard where it was being converted from a CVA to a CVS and S-2 Division in June, 1958. He married Dawn in October 1959 and they moved to Long Beach, California. He then deployed on a Westpac deployment. Six months later he was transferred to the Main Supply Office, S-1 Division. Jim left the ship in Pearl Harbor in May 1960. Upon returning home he began working in the Medical Machine Shop at the University of Iowa until October 1972 until deciding to open his own business in his basement before outgrowing that location and buying his own building. He still owns Jim's Instrument Manufacturing, Inc. He designs and manufactures medical research equipment and eye surgical equipment.
Jim and Dawn were married in 1959, and have two daughters, five granddaughters, and three great grandsons as of this submission. Jim and Dawn rode motorcycles and were Co-Presidents of a motorcycle club for people over 40 years of age called the "RETREADS." They compiled close to 200,000 combined miles.
Jim is interested in helping people with physical limitations when they have problems with wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment. Jim continues to be an avid hunter & angler. He also has restored a 1963 VW Beetle and a 1941 Chevy Pick-up truck. Jim & Dawn have been on 15 Caribbean Cruises with the Hawkeye Football coaches each February and have been to most of the Caribbean Islands at least twice.
Jim and Dawn attend every annual USS Hornet reunion where Jim volunteers in the Hospitality Room. We both enjoy meeting those whom we’ve gotten to know at the reunions.
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