HARRY C. LANG, MAJ, USMC

Harry Lang '29

Date of birth: August 27, 1905

Date of death: May 6, 1942

Age: 36

Lucky Bag

From the 1929 Lucky Bag:

HARRY COX LANG

East Orange, New Jersey

"Harry"

SCARLET and maroon clad marines on leave who sought a cosmopolitan atmosphere in the melting pot of his native New Jersey, cast a spell on Harry at an early age. So, when his wings grew stronger, he left his environs to become an eternal guardsman, and later a midshipman. Tranquil and unabashed he came to us late Plebe summer; in an unassuming and modest manner he imparted to awkward classmates his pre-military lore and with the utmost serenity he settled down to the apparently interminable four year grind.

Since then Cupid's arrows have come to rest in the hearts of men all around him—but unscathed is Harry—and it can truly be said that he is a man who was never known to drag. Academics have beset him like wolves the fold; but throughout both the high and ebb tides of scholastic onslaught, the ordeals of re-exams and pulling sat, he has remained calm, oblivious and staunch as Gibraltar. Ere long, when a red and blue cape comes into view encircling the erect shoulders and well-poised frame of this steadfast youth, the world will know that the little Marine has made the grade.

Class Football 4, 3, 2, 1. Class Baseball 3, 2. Class Wrestling 2. Sub-Squad 3, 2. 1 P.O.

HARRY COX LANG

East Orange, New Jersey

"Harry"

SCARLET and maroon clad marines on leave who sought a cosmopolitan atmosphere in the melting pot of his native New Jersey, cast a spell on Harry at an early age. So, when his wings grew stronger, he left his environs to become an eternal guardsman, and later a midshipman. Tranquil and unabashed he came to us late Plebe summer; in an unassuming and modest manner he imparted to awkward classmates his pre-military lore and with the utmost serenity he settled down to the apparently interminable four year grind.

Since then Cupid's arrows have come to rest in the hearts of men all around him—but unscathed is Harry—and it can truly be said that he is a man who was never known to drag. Academics have beset him like wolves the fold; but throughout both the high and ebb tides of scholastic onslaught, the ordeals of re-exams and pulling sat, he has remained calm, oblivious and staunch as Gibraltar. Ere long, when a red and blue cape comes into view encircling the erect shoulders and well-poised frame of this steadfast youth, the world will know that the little Marine has made the grade.

Class Football 4, 3, 2, 1. Class Baseball 3, 2. Class Wrestling 2. Sub-Squad 3, 2. 1 P.O.

Loss

Harry was lost on May 6, 1942 when he was killed by Japanese artillery fire on Corregidor.

Other Information

From Find A Grave:

Harry Cox Lang was the son of Harry C. Lang and Laura Dehart.
The 1915 New Jersey State Census shows Harry as living in East Orange, 4 ward, 1 district, Essex County, New Jersey, with his mother and siblings Robert and Mildred.
The 1920 US Census shows the Lang family still living in East Orange, New Jersey. Laura Lang is shown as being a widow. The following family members are shown in the census as living in the home:
Laura D Lang Head F 49 New Jersey
Mildred V Lang Dau F 24 New Jersey
Harry Lang Son M 14 New Jersey
The 1930 US Census shows Harry was now a Second Lieutenant and was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanian.
During his career as an officer in the United states Marine Corps, Harry had numerous duty stations to include a tour in China with the famous "China Marines", the 4th Marine Regiment.
Upon the 4th Marines' arrival in the Philippines, Harry was the commander of Company "A" of the 1st Battalion.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Harry married Pauline Elizabeth Rogers on August 6, 1935, in Los Angeles.
His father Harry was a bookkeeper, mother Laura, brother Robert and sister Mildred.

In 1938 he graduated from the FBI, Justice School for Special Agents.

His wife was listed as next of kin. He is buried in Manila; he has a memory marker in New Jersey.

Silver Star

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Army Award) (Posthumously) to Major Harry Cox Lang (MCSN: 0-4440), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while Commanding Company A, Fourth Marine Regiment, in action at Corregidor during the defense of the Philippine Islands, from April to May 1942. Despite daily artillery bombardments and frequent air attacks, Major Lang exposed himself courageously in the course of his daily visits to all positions, thus contributing materially to strengthening of morale and esprit among his men to meet the subsequent landings on 5 May 1942, when he met his death while directing the action. Major Lang's conduct reflects great credit upon himself and the United States Marine Corps.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 60 (June 26, 1946)
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Major

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Major Harry Cox Lang (MCSN: 0-4440), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in the line of his profession under heavy enemy artillery and bombing attacks. From 29 December 1941 to 4 May 1942, Major Lang was in command of Company A, Fourth Marines, which was defending a subsector of the Corregidor north shore beach defenses facing Bataan Peninsula. The heavy daily hostile artillery bombardment and frequent air attacks from 243 April 1942 until 5 May 1942, were particularly severe in Major Lang's subsector. The troops had no other cover than foxholes, could not return the hostile fire, and were suffering a considerable number of casualties. The situation threatened to undermine the morale of the men, many of whom were Filipino recruits. Major Lang, through his daily visits to all positions in his command and his indifference to the heavy fire to which he was many times exposed in the open, was an inspiration and example of heroism which encouraged his men to remain in their positions and valiantly oppose the landing attack which took place on the night of 5 May. His company took a heavy toll of the hostile forces and were still fighting when the order to surrender was issued. Major Lang was killed on 4 May 1942, by artillery fire while visiting one of his outlying positions. His conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: CITATION:
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Major

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.

July 1929

2nd Lieutenant, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Philadelphia

Others at this command:

2LT Chandler Johnson '29

October 1929

2nd Lieutenant, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Philadelphia

Others at this command:

2LT Chandler Johnson '29

January 1930

2nd Lieutenant, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Philadelphia

Others at this command:

2LT Chandler Johnson '29

April 1930

2nd Lieutenant, Marine Corps Schools, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Others at this command:

2LT Raymond Sullivan, Jr. '29

2LT Chandler Johnson '29