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.

AUGUST W. LENTZ, JR., LCDR, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
August Lentz, Jr. '26

Date of birth: April 7, 1903

Date of death: September 15, 1942

Age: 39

Lucky Bag

From the 1926 Lucky Bag:

1926 Lentz LB.jpg

August William Lentz, Jr.

Jersey City, New Jersey

"Gus" "Grandpa" "Baldy"

THE grand old man in person. Behold, then, one of the original hairless, super-editions of the Jersey variety. I say behold him, but you could hardly miss him. When he came to us late Plebe summer it was evident that our class had gained in size as well as number.

Gus first sought the higher knowledge in the halls of Rutgers, where he acquitted himself in noble style on the football field. Just to prove that brass buttons didn't cramp his style, Gus made the varsity Plebe year and has been as permanent as the Navy Goat ever since. And as a Captain Gus further proved that age made no difference in football a la good. One would, offhand, fail to see anything pugnacious in so shy an appearing chap, but several of the gentlemen from colleges hereabouts can testify to his ring prowess.

Uncle Gus will always be remembered for his extra-size heart, and many are the fortunate lads adopted by this kindly paternal bulwark of good fellowship and radiant Dutch cheer. May Baldy's cruises be as big as the ships it will take to hold him, and may his side of the line in the Big Game be counted upon.

Football Squad (4, 3, 2, 1), N (4, 3, 2, 1), Captain (1); Boxing (4, 3, 2, 1), Navy Numerals (3), N(2, 1); Class Track (4, 3), Numerals (4, 3); Lacrosse Squad (3); Gymkhana (4, 3).

1926 Lentz LB.jpg

August William Lentz, Jr.

Jersey City, New Jersey

"Gus" "Grandpa" "Baldy"

THE grand old man in person. Behold, then, one of the original hairless, super-editions of the Jersey variety. I say behold him, but you could hardly miss him. When he came to us late Plebe summer it was evident that our class had gained in size as well as number.

Gus first sought the higher knowledge in the halls of Rutgers, where he acquitted himself in noble style on the football field. Just to prove that brass buttons didn't cramp his style, Gus made the varsity Plebe year and has been as permanent as the Navy Goat ever since. And as a Captain Gus further proved that age made no difference in football a la good. One would, offhand, fail to see anything pugnacious in so shy an appearing chap, but several of the gentlemen from colleges hereabouts can testify to his ring prowess.

Uncle Gus will always be remembered for his extra-size heart, and many are the fortunate lads adopted by this kindly paternal bulwark of good fellowship and radiant Dutch cheer. May Baldy's cruises be as big as the ships it will take to hold him, and may his side of the line in the Big Game be counted upon.

Football Squad (4, 3, 2, 1), N (4, 3, 2, 1), Captain (1); Boxing (4, 3, 2, 1), Navy Numerals (3), N(2, 1); Class Track (4, 3), Numerals (4, 3); Lacrosse Squad (3); Gymkhana (4, 3).

Loss

August was lost when USS Wasp (CV 7) was sunk by a Japanese submarine on September 15, 1942. He was the ship's aerographer since June; previously he was the aerographer for Fleet Air Wing (FAW) 5 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

August attended Stevens Prep, and in September 1920, he became a guard for the Rutgers football team. He was 200 lbs. and 6 feet tall. He attended Rutgers for two years where he belonged to Beta Theta Pi and the Varsity Club.

On September 6, 1928, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, August married Grace Marie Nestle. Their son was named August, III.

On May 21, 1933, August traveled from Cristobal Canal Zone to New York City.

His father was August, a horse shoer who later owned his own blacksmith shop. His mother was Wilhemenia, sister Anna, and brother Henry. His parents were born in Germany.

His wife was listed as next of kin.

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 1927
Ensign, without orders
January 1928
Ensign, treatment, Naval Hospital Boston, Massachusetts
April 1928
Ensign, sick leave
July 1928
Ensign, USS Antares
October 1928
Ensign, USS Antares
January 1929
Ensign, USS Antares
April 1929
Ensign, USS Antares
July 1929
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Antares
October 1929
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Antares
January 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg James McDonough '24 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 5S)
April 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

October 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

January 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

April 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island

July 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

October 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

Others at this command:
January 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

Others at this command:
April 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis

Others at this command:
October 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis
January 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis
April 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Memphis
October 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Augusta

January 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Augusta

April 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Augusta

July 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Augusta

January 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Augusta
April 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Augusta
September 1937
Lieutenant, USS Augusta

January 1938
Lieutenant, USS Augusta

July 1938
Lieutenant, aerological officer, Naval Air Station Seattle, Washington
January 1939
Lieutenant, aerological officer, Naval Air Station Seattle, Washington
October 1939
Lieutenant, aerological officer, Naval Air Station Seattle, Washington
June 1940
Lieutenant, aerological officer, Patrol Wing 5, Norfolk, Virginia

Others at this command:
November 1940
Lieutenant, aerological officer, Patrol Wing 5, Norfolk, Virginia
April 1941
Lieutenant, aerological officer, Patrol Wings, Atlantic Fleet

Memorial Hall Error

August is a "Jr." in the Lucky Bag, but this suffix is omitted on the class of 1926 panel and the killed in action panel in Memorial Hall.


Class of 1926

August is one of 36 members of the Class of 1926 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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