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.

DONALD C. GODWIN, CAPT, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Donald Godwin '11

Date of birth: September 13, 1888

Date of death: January 21, 1943

Age: 54

Lucky Bag

From the 1911 Lucky Bag:

1911 Godwin LB.jpg

Donald Clark Godwin

Williamston, North Carolina

"Don" "Goodman"

DON is a member of that happy group of Southerners, Bubber Scott, Fount Parrott, Jack Melvin, Maitre Reynaud and Company, who are always keen for a good time, even if it is at the expense of one of them. He is quiet when undisturbed, and likes to smoke his pipe and ruminate, but if the occasion or the company demands, he is strictly one of the boys, and good for anything that may turn up. At regular intervals he makes a big liberty, and lots of noise, usually with the Minstrel Man to cheer him on. He is a non-fusser. During the trip to London on First Class Cruise, he astonished a sedate "Cabby" one night, by directing him to " Pillidickey Square," but as a rule he talks quite naturally. He is good-looking, good-natured, and a light student, who gets more pleasure out of life by talking than by reading.


Donald Godwin was born in Williamston, North Carolina, on September 13, 1888. After leaving the grade schools he entered the Wilson Academy, but later entered and graduated from the Oak Ridge (N.C.) Institute. He was appointed from North Carolina.

1911 Godwin LB.jpg

Donald Clark Godwin

Williamston, North Carolina

"Don" "Goodman"

DON is a member of that happy group of Southerners, Bubber Scott, Fount Parrott, Jack Melvin, Maitre Reynaud and Company, who are always keen for a good time, even if it is at the expense of one of them. He is quiet when undisturbed, and likes to smoke his pipe and ruminate, but if the occasion or the company demands, he is strictly one of the boys, and good for anything that may turn up. At regular intervals he makes a big liberty, and lots of noise, usually with the Minstrel Man to cheer him on. He is a non-fusser. During the trip to London on First Class Cruise, he astonished a sedate "Cabby" one night, by directing him to " Pillidickey Square," but as a rule he talks quite naturally. He is good-looking, good-natured, and a light student, who gets more pleasure out of life by talking than by reading.


Donald Godwin was born in Williamston, North Carolina, on September 13, 1888. After leaving the grade schools he entered the Wilson Academy, but later entered and graduated from the Oak Ridge (N.C.) Institute. He was appointed from North Carolina.

Loss

Donald was lost on January 21, 1943, when the aircraft he was aboard crashed near Ukiah, California while enroute from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco. The flying boat, a Pan Am Clipper, was being operated by Pan Am employees but was a contracted Navy flight, and all ten passengers were Navy officers.

Other Information

From The US Naval Institute:

On 21 January 1943, a Pan Am clipper operating for the Naval Air Transport Service was on a flight from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco. On board the transport aircraft was Rear Admiral Robert H. English, Commander, Submarines, Pacific Fleet, headed for a conference at Mare Island, together with three of his senior staff officers. Once matters had been completed at San Francisco, English and the others were scheduled for inspection trips to U.S. submarine facilities at Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, and then San Diego.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In January 1906, Donald was appointed by Senator Simmons as third alternate to the Naval Academy.

After graduating from the Naval Academy, Donald’s brother Charles gave him a “stag banquet” on July 17, 1911, in Williamston, North Carolina. The banquet included a seven-course meal and sparkling champagne.

Donald married Hazel May Kenney on October 27, 1913, in the old Episcopal church in Falls Church, Virginia. She was an actress with the Poli players, and she returned that night to Washington, D. C., to perform in “Captain Jinks.” Donald did not notify his family of his marriage. Right after the ceremony, he shipped off to Tampico, Mexico, on the Rhode Island.

He returned for a short while, and on April 22, 1914, Charles gave another party for Donald, his bride, brother Vernon and his bride at Williamston. Donald was shipped off again shortly thereafter, ruining their second chance for a honeymoon.

Their daughter Hazel “Donnie” May was born in 1916 and married Ensign Floyd W. Bringle (’37).

In February 1940, Donald received orders transferring him from the USS Whitney to the University of California at Berkeley as a naval instructor. He was professor of Naval Science and Tactics.

In November 1941, he was ordered to sea duty and sailed on November 13 on the S. S. Lurline from San Francisco. He arrived in Honolulu on November 19. He was on the USS Maryland when the Japanese attacked on December 7. He was listed as her commander until he died in January 1943.

In October 1942, his wife’s niece “Izetta Jewell, jr.” was living with her in San Francisco as she was appearing in “The Watch on the Rhine.” Her mother Izetta also performed at the Poli players with Hazel.

In January 1943, Donald was returning to San Francisco after six months’ service at Pearl Harbor. His wife was waiting for him when his plane crashed.

Donald’s father Benjamin was mayor of Williamston, and his mother was Emma. His brothers were Charles, Benjamin, Louis, Verner and Glover, a physician.

He had turned over command of USS Maryland (BB 46) the week before; it's unclear what his next duty was to be. Possibly with the 12th Naval District, Los Angeles, California, though this could just be for transitory/tracking purposes.

Donald was survived by his wife and daughter; he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Photographs

Wartime Service

Donald was commanding officer of USS Maryland (BB 46) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The ship was flagship for the embarked Commander, Battleships Pacific Fleet and was damaged in the attack. He was in command of Maryland from November 21, 1941 to January 14, 1943.

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 1912
Midshipman, North Carolina

Others at this command:
January 1913
Ensign, Rhode Island
January 1914
Ensign, Rhode Island
January 1915
Ensign, USS Rhode Island

Others at this command:
January 1916
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Rhode Island
January 1917
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Fulton

Others at this command:
March 1918
Lieutenant, USS N-4
January 1919
Lieutenant Commander, staff, Division 8, Battle Force 2, Atlantic Fleet
January 1920
Lieutenant Commander, staff, Division 1, Squadron 1, Pacific Fleet
January 1921
Lieutenant Commander, USS New York

January 1922
Lieutenant Commander, Office of Naval Operations

May 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Communications Office, Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

July 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Communications Office, Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

September 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Communications Office, Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

November 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Communications Office, Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

January 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
March 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
May 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
July 1924
Lieutenant Commander, commanding officer, USS Goff
September 1924
Ensign, commanding officer, USS Goff
November 1924
Ensign, commanding officer, USS Goff
January 1925
Lieutenant Commander, commanding officer, USS Goff
March 1925
Lieutenant Commander, commanding officer, USS Goff
May 1925
Lieutenant Commander, commanding officer, USS Goff
July 1925
Lieutenant Commander, commanding officer, USS Goff
October 1925
Lieutenant Commander, Asiatic Fleet Staff, USS Huron

January 1926
Lieutenant Commander, Asiatic Fleet Staff, USS Huron

Others at this command:
October 1926
Lieutenant Commander, Asiatic Fleet Staff, USS Huron
January 1927
Lieutenant Commander, Asiatic Fleet Staff, USS Pittsburgh
April 1927
Lieutenant Commander, Asiatic Fleet Staff, USS Pittsburgh
October 1927
Lieutenant Commander, under instruction, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island

January 1928
Lieutenant Commander, under instruction, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island

April 1928
Lieutenant Commander, under instruction, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island

July 1928
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D.C.

October 1928
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D.C.

January 1929
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D.C.

April 1929
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Navigation, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command:
July 1929
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Walther Maser '19 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
October 1929
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Walther Maser '19 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
January 1930
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Walther Maser '19 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
April 1930
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada

October 1930
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS John Nelson '28 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
January 1931
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS John Nelson '28 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
April 1931
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS John Nelson '28 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
July 1931
Lieutenant Commander, navigator, USS Nevada


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg John Nelson '28 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 3B)
October 1931
Lieutenant Commander, Naval Examining Board, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
January 1932
Commander, Naval Examining Board, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
April 1932
Commander, Naval Examining Board, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
October 1932
Commander, Naval Examining Board, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
January 1933
Commander, Naval Examining Board, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
April 1933
Commander, Naval Examining Board, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.
July 1933
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg John Collett '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
October 1933
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg John Collett '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
April 1934
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg John Collett '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
July 1934
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Claud Hughes '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
October 1934
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Claud Hughes '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
January 1935
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Claud Hughes '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
LTjg Alfred Tucker, III '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
April 1935
Commander, 1st Lieutenant, USS Chester


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Claud Hughes '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
LTjg Alfred Tucker, III '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 9S)
July 1938
Commander, executive officer, USS Mississippi

January 1939
Commander, executive officer, USS Mississippi

October 1939
Captain, commanding officer, USS Whitney
June 1940
Captain, ROTC commander, University of California, Berkeley, California
November 1940
Captain, ROTC commander, University of California, Berkeley, California
April 1941
Captain, ROTC commander, University of California, Berkeley, California

Related Articles

Robert English '11, Robert Smith '20, John Crane '26, Francis Black '26, William Myers '26, John Coll '27, and George Stone '31 were also lost in the crash of Pan Am Flight 1104. Eight of the ten passengers were Naval Academy graduates.

Memorial Hall Error

Donald, along with his classmate Robert English '11, are the only two Naval Academy alumni who perished in this crash who are not included in Memorial Hall. Their loss is clearly an operational one, and six other alumni who were aboard are listed with their classmates.


Class of 1911

Donald is one of 15 members of the Class of 1911 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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