James Finn is a World War II hero who served from 1942 to 1946 as a Naval Aviator, earning the rank of Petty Officer First Class. James saw combat in the South Pacific against enemy submarines and kamikaze pilots alike – surviving attacks on the USS Franklin and USS Hornet aircraft carriers and even a typhoon. He is one of only two USS Hornet survivors today.
James grew up in the Canaryville neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Returning to Chicago after the war, James graduated from DePaul University with a degree from the College of Commerce.
Today, he resides in Chicago where he is president of Homer Gwinn Insurance, an insurance agency he joined in 1955 and bought in the early 1970s. He is now president of the company and works with four of his eleven children in the family business.
James celebrated his 100th birthday on January 7, 2024.
