James Blackwood entered the Regular Navy in 1919, and served in various ships and at Naval Hospitals here and abroad in the years that followed. Blackwood served the people of Haiti 1927 to 1930 when assigned to a Public Health unit on that island. He was appointed Medical Inspector with the rank of Commander in 1938, reported to Vincennes (CA-44) 30 September 1940, and was on board during the critical early months of America’s participation in World War IL During the Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942, one of the many sea fights during the Solomons Campaign, a cruiser-destroyer force was surprised at night by Japanese cruisers and dealt a crushing blow. Blackwood was killed when the gallant Vincennes was sunk along with two other cruisers and a destroyer.