ANDREW J. FROSCH, LT, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Andrew Frosch '39

Date of birth: December 26, 1917

Date of death: November 13, 1942

Age: 24

Lucky Bag

From the 1939 Lucky Bag:

1939 Frosch LB.jpg

ANDREW JOSEPH FROSCH

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Andy, Gump

From his nonchalant, composed expression, and his easy manner of walk, we know that worry never gets the upper hand on Andy. A stranger would term him quiet, but those who know him can certify that Andy can be the life of the party. He never laughs at his own words or wit, but a victory of repartee is always marked by his own personal smirk in conclusion. Gump's capacity for the esthetic is stimulated through his ability to sketch a Bull prof during a lecture. Spare moments at the gym keep him physically fit for the bout with academics. His agreeable nature will keep him clear of trouble, and his persistency will put him in the finish with the best.

Lacrosse 4; Battalion Lacrosse 2, 1; Wrestling 4, 3, 2; C.P.O.

1939 Frosch LB.jpg

ANDREW JOSEPH FROSCH

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Andy, Gump

From his nonchalant, composed expression, and his easy manner of walk, we know that worry never gets the upper hand on Andy. A stranger would term him quiet, but those who know him can certify that Andy can be the life of the party. He never laughs at his own words or wit, but a victory of repartee is always marked by his own personal smirk in conclusion. Gump's capacity for the esthetic is stimulated through his ability to sketch a Bull prof during a lecture. Spare moments at the gym keep him physically fit for the bout with academics. His agreeable nature will keep him clear of trouble, and his persistency will put him in the finish with the best.

Lacrosse 4; Battalion Lacrosse 2, 1; Wrestling 4, 3, 2; C.P.O.

Loss

Andrew was lost when USS Monssen (DD 436) was sunk on November 13, 1942 at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. He was the ship's engineering officer and had been aboard prior to her commissioning in March 1942.

Other Information

From Find A Grave:

ROSCH AN ATHLETE

Lieutenant Frosch, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Frosch, was the first Northeast Catholic High School alumnus to attend the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. He was graduated from high school in 1934, studied at Temple University for a year, and was graduated from Annapolis in 1939. He had been on active duty since then.

At the academy, Frosch was on the varsity lacrosse and wrestling teams. A brother, Henry, is an Army Air Forces flying cadet now stationed in Florida.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

His father was Harry, mother Jennie, four sisters Ave-Marie, Marie, Jane and Margaret; and brother Harry Jr. who was in the retail meat and poultry business with his father in 1940. His father died on March 16, 1941.

His parents were listed as next of kin.

He has a memory marker at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines.

Photographs

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

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.

October 1939
Ensign, USS Philip
June 1940
Ensign, USS Philip
November 1940
Ensign, USS Monssen

Others at this command:
April 1941
Ensign, USS Monssen


Class of 1939

Andrew is one of 78 members of the Class of 1939 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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