EARL K. OLSEN, LCDR, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Earl Olsen '26

Date of birth: July 2, 1903

Date of death: November 30, 1942

Age: 39

Lucky Bag

From the 1926 Lucky Bag:

1926 Olsen LB.jpg

Earl Kenneth Olsen

Waukegan, Illinois

"Ole" "Swede"

AT a glance, one would hardly suspect that the above head could govern such a complex nature. But stop! Examine closely the smouldering eyes, the satyr ears, and then conceive of a Scandinavian with a Spanish temperament. Though the Swede is a radiator hound of no small repute, he is a very active sponsor of the "Back to Cadiz" movement. Ole's athletic tendencies are confined to the parlor type with an occasional turn to the porch-swing variety, not to forget the great American pastime of poker. "O—$$*()?----" and the Square Head is off again on another tirade against the perversity of the cards. As a Plebe, Ole made an excellent First Classman, and since then his ability to get away with murder has been uncanny. "There goes that horrible Mr. Olsen" was an oft-repeated phrase Plebe year. His luck holding out Portsmouth will miss an excellent inmate. Taking the Swede's idiosyncrasies all in all they are not unendurable, though rather trying at times.

Class Water Polo (3, 2), Numerals; Class Track (3); Baseball Squad (4); Stage Gang (4); Black N *****.

1926 Olsen LB.jpg

Earl Kenneth Olsen

Waukegan, Illinois

"Ole" "Swede"

AT a glance, one would hardly suspect that the above head could govern such a complex nature. But stop! Examine closely the smouldering eyes, the satyr ears, and then conceive of a Scandinavian with a Spanish temperament. Though the Swede is a radiator hound of no small repute, he is a very active sponsor of the "Back to Cadiz" movement. Ole's athletic tendencies are confined to the parlor type with an occasional turn to the porch-swing variety, not to forget the great American pastime of poker. "O—$$*()?----" and the Square Head is off again on another tirade against the perversity of the cards. As a Plebe, Ole made an excellent First Classman, and since then his ability to get away with murder has been uncanny. "There goes that horrible Mr. Olsen" was an oft-repeated phrase Plebe year. His luck holding out Portsmouth will miss an excellent inmate. Taking the Swede's idiosyncrasies all in all they are not unendurable, though rather trying at times.

Class Water Polo (3, 2), Numerals; Class Track (3); Baseball Squad (4); Stage Gang (4); Black N *****.

Loss

Earl was one of seven officers and 118 crew lost aboard USS Pensacola (CA 24) on November 30, 1942, at the Battle of Tassafaronga when the ship was heavily damaged by a torpedo and gunfire. He had reported aboard in February 1939 as the ship's engineering officer.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Earl graduated from Waukegan township high school in 1921. “Our friend Earl has gone off to sea, To be an officer in the Navy; And just like his brothers, And so many others, The captain of a ship he desires to be.” Band; R. O. T. C. (2), (3), Captain (4); Boys’ Glee Club (2); French Club (2); Football, center (4).

Next, he went to a preparatory school at Marion, Alabama. He received his appointment to the Naval Academy by Congressman Carl O. Chindblom.

Earl married Mrs. Louise Sprink Miller on June 19, 1934. She was the widow of Lt. Charles F. Miller (’25) who died on the Akron. When Earl died, her son Charles was 2. She died on October 15, 1944, in a Honolulu hospital.

In February 1944, his mother sponsored the destroyer escort named in honor of Earl.

His father Hjalmer E. was in the navy as a boatswain. He retired but was called back as a reserve in WWI and became a lieutenant. His mother was Anna, and his sister Anna was married to Lt. Henry G. Munson (’32.) His brothers were Charles (’19,) Clarence (’21,) Robert (’33,) and Albert (’38).

His wife was listed as next of kin. He has a memory marker in Illinois.

Photographs

Navy Cross

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Earl Kenneth Olsen, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Engineering Officer aboard the Heavy Cruiser U.S.S. Pensacola (CA-24), after the torpedoing of his ship in enemy-controlled waters during the Battle of Tassafaronga on the night of 30 November 1942. Lieutenant Commander Olsen coolly and efficiently directed the evacuation of the surviving personnel and attempted to carry the body of another officer to a place of safety, after enemy torpedo fire had flooded the engine room where Lieutenant Commander Olsen was stationed. As a result of his gallant spirit of self-sacrifice on behalf of the men on watch with him, he succumbed to smoke and toxic gasses. The conduct of Lieutenant Commander Olsen throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 314 (May 1943)
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Namesake

USS Earl K. Olsen (DE 765) was named for Earl; the ship was sponsored by his widow.

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 1926
Ensign, USS Milwaukee
January 1927
Ensign, USS Milwaukee
April 1927
Ensign, USS Milwaukee
October 1927
Ensign, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia

Others at this command:
January 1928
Ensign, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia

Others at this command:
April 1928
Ensign, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia

Others at this command:
July 1928
Ensign, USS Mahan
October 1928
Ensign, USS Mahan
January 1929
Ensign, USS Mahan
April 1929
Ensign, USS Mahan
July 1929
Ensign, USS Mahan
October 1929
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Mahan
January 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Mahan
April 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Lansdale
October 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Lansdale
January 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Lansdale
April 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hamilton
July 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hamilton
October 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hamilton
January 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hamilton
April 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hamilton
July 1934
Lieutenant (j.g.), for assignment, 16th Naval District

Others at this command:
October 1934
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Luzon

Others at this command:
January 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Luzon

Others at this command:
April 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Luzon

Others at this command:
October 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), for assignment, Destroyer Squadron 5, USS Black Hawk

Others at this command:
January 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Pope
April 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Pope
July 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Pope
January 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), staff, Destroyer Squadron 5, USS Black Hawk
April 1937
Lieutenant, staff, Destroyer Squadron 5, USS Black Hawk
September 1937
Lieutenant, Engineering Experiment Station, Naval Academy
January 1938
Lieutenant, Engineering Experiment Station, Naval Academy
July 1938
Lieutenant, Engineering Experiment Station, Naval Academy
January 1939
Lieutenant, Engineering Experiment Station, Naval Academy
October 1939
Lieutenant, USS Pensacola

Others at this command:
June 1940
Lieutenant, USS Pensacola

November 1940
Lieutenant, USS Pensacola

April 1941
Lieutenant, USS Pensacola


Class of 1926

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

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