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"Jimmie Pictures"
Recollections of Jimmie by Andy Bisaccia


Andy Bisaccia, ca 1998

My parents purchased two cap pistols, for Jimmie, in black and white leather holsters, and a cowboy hat. Jimmie knew about and admired the American Cowboy, as most little boys in the world did. He had a friend named Pak Song Soo who was mascot on another navy ship. Occasionally I, or some other crew member would take the motor whale boat and pick up Pak so he could come back to our ship to play cowboys with Jimmie and spend the day together. Jimmie would loan one of his cap pistols to Pak, and they would run around the ship having a shootout with guns blazing and caps popping. Our ship eerily became a child care center instead of a lethal, death dealing, killing machine. I think it gave a lot of borderline homesick swabbies a respite from navy formality, boredom, the horrors of war, and man's inhumanity to man. I believe that Jimmie's presence contributed immeasurably to the morale on board the Whitehurst, and brought an innocence and tranquility to the whole experience.

Some historians claim that the game of chess probably originated in India. I read a history of Korea that said that chess likely originated in Korea. Jimmie might be living proof of that. As far as we were concerned, Jimmie was the chess champion of the 7th fleet. He took on all comers and to my knowledge, never lost a match. He was phenomenal. Sailors came from all over to try and beat him. I'm sure that many were more than above
average players. Jimmie would make short shrift of them. I have no doubt in my mind that besides being very skilled in the game of chess, Jimmie had a high IQ. If he is still alive today, I cannot imagine him not being successful at whatever he is doing, and a person of good character and values.

Jimmie possessed great charisma. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a pleasant demeanor. He possessed social skills beyond his years, and understood the give and take of being part of a rough and tumble group of men who accepted him unconditionally. I've never known a kid his age to be so polite, spit and polish, mature, responsible, and self assured. Considering what he came through, how he survived, and how he made the best of his options as a wartime orphan, I think I can speak for all of us who knew him-- we were blessed to have had him as a friend and a part of our lives. We are all the better for it.

An image of an early letter to the parents of Andy Bisaccia. The printing is Jimmie's

Note the dramatic improvement in Jimmie's communication skills.
                                                       Jimmie Story part two
Andy Bisaccia has contributed several  stories to the Whitehurst Web site:
Pusan Flashbacks is the most recent. Other stories by Andy: Escapades of Andy and Harry in Kyushu, The Day I Borrowed the Commandant's Limo, The Navy Way, The Great Engine Heist, Toothache, and a Great deal of material on "Jimmy" Pon Sun See, the Korean boy adopted by the Whitehurst crew in Pusan. You can learn more about Andy at this link. Andy's Bio Sketch

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