GEORGE D. COTTRELL, LT, USNR
George Cottrell '31
George Dale Cottrell was admitted to the Naval Academy from Fremont, Nebraska on June 30, 1927 at age 19 years 11 months. He resigned on June 7, 1928.
Photographs
Photo from a Fremont, Nebraska newspaper upon his acceptance to the Naval Academy in 1927. Located by researcher Kathy Franz.
Loss
George was one of 44 men lost on January 6, 1945 aboard USS California (BB 44) in a kamikaze attack. The ship was providing shore bombardment at Lingayen Gulf.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Since his sophomore year at Fremont High School, George was a star in football, basketball and track. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1925 and was stationed in San Diego. He passed the exam for USNA and spent one year there. A newspaper article said he was "highly pleased with his work," but he did not return. He was a star on the Naval Academy basketball team and was to be on the football team the next year.
George then enrolled at the University of Nebraska, was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and graduated in May 1932 with a B. S. in engineering aeronautics. His father ran a grocery store in Fremont, and George helped him and owned a filling station for the next few years. George moved to San Francisco and actually caught a thief at the filling station where he worked. He was given a medal from the police and a $5 bonus from his employer. He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in August 1941.
George was on the USS California on October 25, 1944. His roommate Lt(jg) R. Sattler wrote a story for the ship's 1995 yearbook. When Sattler heard the General Alarm at 0230, he jumped out of his bunk and said 'George, this is it!' George replied, "Stop being a Humphrey Bogart. It's probably only a Japanese reconnaissance plane." Just 10 weeks later, George would be killed when the ship was hit by a kamikaze and the resulting fire at Sky Lookout Aft Region. His remains were buried at sea the next evening at 17 degrees 0 minutes North Latitude, 119 degrees 15 minutes East Longitude.
George is remembered at a memorial at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines.
The Fremont Tribune on July 28, 1942 reported he had completed a brief furlough with his parents, his wife, and son Dellmore. His wife and son had been living in Fremont, Nebraska while George was attending Northwestern University; the family were going to move to San Francisco.
No next of kin was listed, though his home was given as North Hollywood, California. He was survived by his wife, Mary Editah, son (eight years old in September 1945), parents, brothers Tom, Jr. and Ross. (Fremont Tribune, September 24, 1945.)
Career
1941 USNR Officer Register: ENS, Classification D-VS, no. 2278 in grade, date of rank: 6/18/41, DoB: 8/8/07, pay service as of Jan 1, 1941: 0 days.
1943 USNR Officer Register: File no. 113597, ENS, Classification D-VS, date of precedence 8/5/42, DoB: 8/07, pay service as of Jan 1, 1943: 1 yr, 5 mo, 1 day.
1944 USNR Officer Register: File no. 113597, LT, "naval schools attended": 41 ("indoctrination"; Naval Academy is not in the list of possible codes), year of birth: '07, date of precedence: 8/1/43, pay entry date: 7/24/39. (Pay entry date is a calculated value, as if he had begun continuous service on that day.)
Memorial Hall Error
On the killed in action panel George's middle name is incorrectly spelled "Dole"; should be "Dale".
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