Miguel Nava '17
On February 7, 2024 Captain Miguel Nava, USMC '17 was killed in a helicopter crash. Please consider a donation to his family to honor his service, and the incredible sacrifice of his wife and five-month-old son.

AUGUSTUS H. ALSTON, JR., LCDR, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Augustus Alston, Jr. '31

Date of birth: August 20, 1907

Date of death: April 3, 1943

Age: 35

Lucky Bag

From the 1931 Lucky Bag:

1931 Alston LB.jpg

Augustus Howard Alston, Jr.

Augusta, Georgia

"Caesar"

It was only by chance that Caesar became connected with the circulation department of the "Log", but it was fortunate for all concerned. His motto has always been "If you want a thing done right, do it yourself." So, many study periods have found him soliciting subscriptions or collecting payments. Academics suffered; but along about the last month of the term, he'd always be found to have made it. It has been due to his willingness to sacrifice class standing that the circulation department of the "Log" has been run in such a businesslike manner. This has led directly to his election as manager of the same branch in the "Lucky Bag".

Shortly before finishing high school he became a wanderer, and now he will probably be one the rest of his days. Caesar's real hobby outside of eating and sleeping is pistol shooting, and his proficiency with an officer's weapon is to be envied.

Above all, he is a good "wife" and that is "nough said."

Log Staff 4, 3, 2; Circulation Manager, Log; Two Stripes

1931 Alston LB.jpg

Augustus Howard Alston, Jr.

Augusta, Georgia

"Caesar"

It was only by chance that Caesar became connected with the circulation department of the "Log", but it was fortunate for all concerned. His motto has always been "If you want a thing done right, do it yourself." So, many study periods have found him soliciting subscriptions or collecting payments. Academics suffered; but along about the last month of the term, he'd always be found to have made it. It has been due to his willingness to sacrifice class standing that the circulation department of the "Log" has been run in such a businesslike manner. This has led directly to his election as manager of the same branch in the "Lucky Bag".

Shortly before finishing high school he became a wanderer, and now he will probably be one the rest of his days. Caesar's real hobby outside of eating and sleeping is pistol shooting, and his proficiency with an officer's weapon is to be envied.

Above all, he is a good "wife" and that is "nough said."

Log Staff 4, 3, 2; Circulation Manager, Log; Two Stripes

Loss

Augustus was lost when USS Pickerel (SS 177) was sunk by Japanese vessels north of Honshū on April 3, 1943. He was the boat's commanding officer.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Unfortunately, I could NOT find a final link to this prominent family: Augustus Holmes Alston was a judge, lawyer and Confederate soldier. His portrait was donated in 1926 to the Alabama State Department of Archives and History to be hung on the walls of the state house. His son was living in Havana, Cuba, at the time and was assistant manager of the Federal Reserve Bank. The Alston family was well-known in South Carolina. Joseph Alston, who became governor in 1812, married Theodosia Burr in 1801, daughter of Col. Aaron Burr.

His father was a railroad clerk and telegraph operator for the Georgia railroad. His mother was Lucia; his brother was Marcus, and his sisters were Margaret and Martha. Augustus graduated from the Academy of Richmond County before entering the Naval Academy. He and his wife Elma Watkins Alston had a son Donald born in 1939 in California.

Augustus attended the Old Richmond Academy (Academy of Richmond County High School) on Telfair street. In 1922, he was a private in Company C.

Augustus and his wife Elma traveled from Cristobal, Canal Zone, to New York City in May, 1938. Their home address was Emporia, Virginia.

in June, 1944, Augustus posthumously received a submarine combat pin and a citation for his performance against the enemy .

His father Augustus (1881-1948) worked for the railroad, mother Lucia, brother Marion, and sisters Margaret (Mrs. Mitchell Speth) and Martha (Mrs. Simpson). His grandfather was Thomas Howard Alston (1851-1943,) and his great-grandmother was Elizabeth Alston.

Augustus is listed at the Courts of the Missing in Hawaii.

Photographs

Career

From the now-broken link http://www.fleetorganization.com/subcommandersclassyear3.html:

  • Duty Superintendent of Construction Electric Boat Company Groton 1 Jul 1939 - 1 Jul 1940
  • Duty 16th Naval District 1 Nov 1940
  • Executive Officer USS Pickerel (SS-177) 1 Jan 1941 - 8 Oct 1942
  • Captain USS Pickerel (SS-177) 8 Oct 1942 - Apr 1943

He also served aboard USS Texas (BB 35), USS Louisville (CA 28), USS S-12 (SS 121), and USS S-46 (SS 157).

  • Lieutenant (j.g.) 4 Jun 1934
  • Lieutenant 1 Jul 1939
  • Lieutenant Commander (T) 15 Jun 1942

Bronze Star

Unable to find the citation for this medal.

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.

January 1932
Ensign, USS Texas

October 1932
Ensign, USS Louisville


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Irving Wiltsie '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
January 1933
Ensign, USS Louisville


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Irving Wiltsie '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
April 1933
Ensign, USS Louisville


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Irving Wiltsie '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
July 1933
Ensign, staff, Cruiser Division 5, USS Chicago

Others at or embarked at USS Chicago:
1LT Frederick Chappelle '20 (USS Chicago)
ENS Harold MacFarlane '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg William Pennewill '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg Oliver White '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
ENS Henry Brossy '31 (USS Chicago)
ENS Charles Mallory, Jr. '32 (USS Chicago)
October 1933
Ensign, staff, Cruiser Division 5, USS Chicago

Others at or embarked at USS Chicago:
1LT Frederick Chappelle '20 (USS Chicago)
ENS Harold MacFarlane '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg William Pennewill '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg Oliver White '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
ENS Charles Mallory, Jr. '32 (USS Chicago)
April 1934
Ensign, staff, Cruiser Division 5, USS Chicago

Others at or embarked at USS Chicago:
LTjg Arthur Loeser '27 (USS Chicago)
LTjg William Pennewill '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg Oliver White '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
July 1934
Ensign, staff, Cruiser Division 5, USS Chicago

Others at this command:

Others at or embarked at USS Chicago:
LTjg Oliver White '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
ENS Leo Crane '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
October 1934
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Louisville

Others at this command:

Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Irving Wiltsie '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 11S)
January 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Louisville

Others at this command:

Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Irving Wiltsie '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 11S)
April 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Louisville

Others at this command:

Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Irving Wiltsie '21 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 11S)
October 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Submarine Base New London, Connecticut

January 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS S-12
April 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS S-12
July 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS S-46

Others at this command:
January 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS S-46

Others at this command:
April 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), navigator & communications officer, USS S-46

Others at this command:
September 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), navigator & communications officer, USS S-46
January 1938
Lieutenant (j.g.), navigator & communications officer, USS S-46
July 1938
Lieutenant (j.g.), assistant supervisor of construction, Electric Boat Company, New London Ship and Engineering Works, Groton, Connecticut
January 1939
Lieutenant (j.g.), assistant supervisor of construction, Electric Boat Company, New London Ship and Engineering Works, Groton, Connecticut
October 1939
Lieutenant, assistant supervisor of construction, Electric Boat Company, New London Ship and Engineering Works, Groton, Connecticut

Others at this command:
June 1940
Lieutenant, assistant supervisor of construction, Electric Boat Company, New London Ship and Engineering Works, Groton, Connecticut

Others at this command:
November 1940
Lieutenant, for assignment, 16th Naval District

April 1941
Lieutenant, USS Pickerel

Others at this command:


Class of 1931

Augustus is one of 52 members of the Class of 1931 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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