ALBERT D. GRAY, LT, USN
Albert Gray '31
Lucky Bag
From the 1931 Lucky Bag:
Albert Downing Gray
Gwynedd, Pennsylvania
"Al" "Rabbit"
A "Wiley Wolunteer" and a good one. Yessir, Al was born and bred in Pennsylvania where he learned the three "R's" in a little red school house and mastered the art of playing football at Penn Charter. Thus it happened that the big fella entered the Navy with a mighty fine record and a large field ahead of him.
It didn't take Al any time to decide he wanted to be an athlete; and possessing all the necessary qualities both physically and mentally, he dug into football and crew. Now he is among the select few who can boast of block "N's" in both of these sports. Nuff said!
Once in a while someone will convince the Rabbit that Midshipmen are supposed to crack a book between work-outs; so he will tear his mind away from the smooth water up the river long enough to roll up some velvet and keep himself well up in the savvy half of his class.
Add to all this a smiling, cheerful, amiable personality, and an ever-ready desire to indulge in a little "hossplay," and you have—Al.
Football 4, 3, 2, 1, Block '"31", "N" 3, 2, 1; Crew 4, 3, 2, 1, "'31" Crossed Oar "N" 3, 2, 1; Pep Committee 4, 3; 3 Stripes
Al achieved the coveted "N" in both Football and Crew.
Albert Downing Gray
Gwynedd, Pennsylvania
"Al" "Rabbit"
A "Wiley Wolunteer" and a good one. Yessir, Al was born and bred in Pennsylvania where he learned the three "R's" in a little red school house and mastered the art of playing football at Penn Charter. Thus it happened that the big fella entered the Navy with a mighty fine record and a large field ahead of him.
It didn't take Al any time to decide he wanted to be an athlete; and possessing all the necessary qualities both physically and mentally, he dug into football and crew. Now he is among the select few who can boast of block "N's" in both of these sports. Nuff said!
Once in a while someone will convince the Rabbit that Midshipmen are supposed to crack a book between work-outs; so he will tear his mind away from the smooth water up the river long enough to roll up some velvet and keep himself well up in the savvy half of his class.
Add to all this a smiling, cheerful, amiable personality, and an ever-ready desire to indulge in a little "hossplay," and you have—Al.
Football 4, 3, 2, 1, Block '"31", "N" 3, 2, 1; Crew 4, 3, 2, 1, "'31" Crossed Oar "N" 3, 2, 1; Pep Committee 4, 3; 3 Stripes
Al achieved the coveted "N" in both Football and Crew.
Loss
From Find A Grave:
Lt. Albert D. Gray was held as a POW in the Philippine Islands. In December 1944, he was boarded onto the Oryoku Maru for transport to Japan. The ship sailed on December 13th and came under attack from American planes on December 14th. As evening approached, the attack was called off. The next day the planes returned and continued the attack. When the pilots saw the large number of men climbing from the ship’s holds, they realized the ship was carrying POWs and called off the attack. After the POWs were off the ship, the attack resumed and the ship was sunk by American planes at Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, on December 15, 1944. Gray was killed in the attack on the ship.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Albert's wife Judith was formerly married to Frederick William Roberts ('20.)
On February 28, 1943, Albert was listed as missing. On June 15, 1943, the Navy announced him as a prisoner.
Unable to determine exactly how or when he was captured. As of April 1941 he was a member of Patrol Squadron (VP) 102; that unit was essentially destroyed by February 1942.
Albert earned his wings as naval aviator #4003 on March 22, 1934.
His wife was listed as next of kin.
Photographs
Albert pictured with his team, including Howard Shelton '32, John Phillips, Jr. '33 and Kenneth Hartley '33. From The Ithaca Journal on April 20, 1931.
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
January 1932
April 1932
CDR Robert English '11
LCDR Lyman Swenson '16
LT Samuel Arthur '20
LT Robert Smith '20
LT Paul Slawson '20
LTjg William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT John Welch '23
October 1932
July 1933
October 1933
April 1934
LTjg Oscar Pate, Jr. '27
LTjg Leonard Southerland '27
LTjg Frank Highley, Jr. '30
LTjg Robert Patten '30
LTjg Claud Hughes '30
LTjg Baylies Clark '30
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
July 1936
LTjg Seymour Johnson '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
LTjg James McRoberts '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
LTjg Donald Lovelace '28 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Lorenz Forbes '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B)
LTjg Leo Crane '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Robert Strickler '32 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg William Widhelm '32 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Howard Shelton '32 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3B)
ENS Earle Schneider '33 (USS Ranger)
ENS Milton Ricketts '35 (USS Ranger)
ENS John Daub, Jr. '36 (USS Ranger)
January 1937
LT Seymour Johnson '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
LTjg Donald Lovelace '28 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Finley Hall '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Lorenz Forbes '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B)
LTjg Leo Crane '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Robert Strickler '32 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg William Widhelm '32 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Howard Shelton '32 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3B)
LTjg Earle Schneider '33 (USS Ranger)
ENS Milton Ricketts '35 (USS Ranger)
ENS John Daub, Jr. '36 (USS Ranger)
April 1937
LT Seymour Johnson '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
LTjg Donald Lovelace '28 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Finley Hall '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Leo Crane '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Robert Strickler '32 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Archibald Greenlee '32 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Dewitt Shumway '32 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg William Widhelm '32 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Earle Schneider '33 (USS Ranger)
ENS William Hulson '36 (USS Ranger)
ENS John Daub, Jr. '36 (USS Ranger)
September 1937
CAPT Paul Moret '30
LTjg Samuel Dealey '30
1LT Harold Larson '31
LTjg Charles Crommelin '31
LTjg John Spiers '32
LTjg John Phillips, Jr. '33
LTjg Robert Isely '33
CAPT Ernest Pollock '28 (Training Squadron (VN) 2D8)
LT William Pennewill '29 (Training Squadron (VN) 1D8)
January 1938
CAPT Paul Moret '30
LTjg Samuel Dealey '30
1LT Harold Larson '31
LTjg Charles Crommelin '31
LTjg John Spiers '32
LTjg John Phillips, Jr. '33
LTjg Robert Isely '33
ENS Glenn Dunagan '33
CAPT Ernest Pollock '28 (Training Squadron (VN) 2D8)
LTjg Alden Irons '31 (Training Squadron (VN) 2D8)
July 1938
LT Renwick Calderhead '27
LTjg Samuel Dealey '30
LTjg John Huntley '31
LTjg George Ottinger '32
LTjg William Widhelm '32
ENS Glenn Dunagan '33
ENS Norman Ostergren '35
January 1939
LT Renwick Calderhead '27
LT Samuel Dealey '30
LTjg John Huntley '31
LTjg William Thorn '32
LTjg Glenn Dunagan '33
LTjg Norman Ostergren '35
CAPT Paul Moret '30 (Training Squadron (VN) 3D8)
LT Alden Irons '31 (Training Squadron (VN) 3D8)
LTjg William Widhelm '32 (Training Squadron (VN) 5D8)
2LT Ralph Haas '36 (Marine Barracks)
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
