He received the Navy Cross for his actions during the Battle of Okinawa and was also a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal[1] during a military career that spanned the 35 years between 1933 and 1968.

[5] Masters completed high school at Anderson in 1927 at age 16, delivering the valedictory speech when he was still only 16, saying, "If we fail to prepare for our role in society, we play falsely with our God, our country, and with the inner man, our conscience.

[13] One of Masters's instructors, Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (nicknamed "Bayonet Tony") took the young Marine under his wing to teach him in close combat.

The two latter named gentlemen were formerly pupils of the writer in Individual Combat at the United States Marine Corps Basic School for Officers: they are both fine swordsmen.

[22] Because Dorice and Rupertus's wife Alice had gone to school together, James earned his senior's trust and was offered a position in the elder's future command: 1st Battalion 4th Marines.

[28][29] Masters and his wife enjoyed an active social life through the Spring and early Summer – in the company of other Marines and members of the English-speaking community in Shanghai.

[33] After defending Americans from Japanese harassment until September 1938,[34] he was temporarily assigned to the SS President Coolidge, in Shanghai port to supervise the security during loading of the gold and silver bullion that belonged to Chase Bank.

In September, he was assigned to Marine Corps Base, Parris Island in South Carolina, as a battery commanding officer with the 4th Defense Battalion.

While at Finschhafen preparing for the Cape Gloucester landings, General Douglas MacArthur inquired of Masters, "Young man, are you ready for this operation?"

[44] Firstly, after landing at Green Beach (southwest of what is today Cape Gloucester Airport, near the western side of Mount Talawe), his battalion (code-named Stoneface Group) was to block attempts by enemy troops to retreat in a south-westerly direction from the main Japanese force at the airdrome.

[44] By nightfall Stoneface Group had met all of its defensive position objectives and began patrolling vigorously inland to locate enemy troops.

Except for a communication barrier due to mountainous terrain that made contact with division headquarters tedious,[44] the first two days were without major incident, just a few skirmishes.

[1] As daylight faded on 29 December, the volume of Japanese fire from the jungle began to increase, signaling an imminent attack against Stoneface defenses.

For a few moments, enemy troops occupied part of Stoneface Group's front lines, but were repulsed when Gunnery Sergeant Guiseppe [sic] Guilano Jr. stepped into the breach with a light machine gun.

No longer in need of the trail block west of Mount Talawe, General Rupertus ordered Masters to secure his battalion and rejoin the division.

After securing its wounded, equipment, and supplies, 2nd Battalion made a march from Green Beach into the division lines at the airdrome, at which point the Stoneface Group was disbanded on 12 January 1944.

After a couple of days to rest, and attempts to dry out the "jungle rot" between rain squalls, Masters and his battalion were reassigned to the 7th Marine Regiment, commanded by Julian 'Bull' Frisbie.

[1] Puller took the opportunity to indulge in some combat humor at the expense of Masters (the junior officer) by belittling the 2nd Battalion's 'little fight' at the hands of the Banzai charging Japanese troops at Mt.

[45] For his actions on Cape Gloucester, Masters was awarded the Legion of Merit, somewhat unusual for a combat commander to receive, in place of the Silver Star.

[46] After 37 consecutive months overseas, he returned to the United States in March 1944 for duty at Headquarters Marine Corps with the Division of Plans and Policies, G-3.

From April to June 1945, he fought in the Battle of Okinawa, where he earned the Navy Cross for manning a vital observation post under heavy attack during the assault on Dakeshi Ridge.

Masters was presented the Navy Distinguished Service Medal by Commandant Leonard F. Chapman Jr. during his retirement ceremony at Quantico, 28 June 1968.

[47] A complete list of his medals and decorations includes:[48] The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross to for service as set forth in the following citation: For extraordinary heroism as Executive Officer of the Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Dakeshi Ridge, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, from 10 to 12 May 1945.

On 10 May, when the advance of the Regiment was checked by a strong hostile force, Lieutenant Colonel Masters unhesitatingly went forward of the front lines on reconnaissance and obtained information concerning the Japanese and unfamiliar terrain which enabled a successful attack to be made the following day.