HARRY A. BRANDENBURGER, LT, USN

Henry Brandenburger '21

Date of birth: May 1, 1898

Date of death: May 21, 1935

Age: 37

Lucky Bag

From the 1921 Lucky Bag:

Harry Alfred Brandenburger

Belleville, Illinois

"Brandy"

NOBODY ever heard of Belleville until Brandy came among us, but if the place produces any more like him, it's all right. His unfailing good humor and generosity won the friendship and respect of all with whom he came in contact.

Brandy's athletic career has been confined to hard and consistent work on the football squad. He has not been numbered among the stars but has contributed his share toward Navy victories. Academically, he thinks himself wooden, but he found himself in the savvy half at the end of Youngster year in spite of his gloomy prophecies to the contrary.

As a fusser, he isn't there; the Red Mikes can boast of no member more devoted to their principles than Brandy. His idea of a good time is a movie and a bag of peanuts.

But in spite of all this Brandy will be a good man to go to sea with.

"Say Brandy, dragging tonight?"

"No, I ain't no great hand with the wimmen."

Two Stripes; Expert Rifleman; Football Squad.

The Class of 1921 was the last of the wartime-accelerated classes. "1921A" was graduated on June 3, 1920; the second half, "1921B", was graduated on June 2, 1921. Henry was graduated with 1921A.

Harry Alfred Brandenburger

Belleville, Illinois

"Brandy"

NOBODY ever heard of Belleville until Brandy came among us, but if the place produces any more like him, it's all right. His unfailing good humor and generosity won the friendship and respect of all with whom he came in contact.

Brandy's athletic career has been confined to hard and consistent work on the football squad. He has not been numbered among the stars but has contributed his share toward Navy victories. Academically, he thinks himself wooden, but he found himself in the savvy half at the end of Youngster year in spite of his gloomy prophecies to the contrary.

As a fusser, he isn't there; the Red Mikes can boast of no member more devoted to their principles than Brandy. His idea of a good time is a movie and a bag of peanuts.

But in spite of all this Brandy will be a good man to go to sea with.

"Say Brandy, dragging tonight?"

"No, I ain't no great hand with the wimmen."

Two Stripes; Expert Rifleman; Football Squad.

The Class of 1921 was the last of the wartime-accelerated classes. "1921A" was graduated on June 3, 1920; the second half, "1921B", was graduated on June 2, 1921. Henry was graduated with 1921A.

Loss

From Find A Grave:

Lt. (Junior Grade) H. A. Brandenburger, USN, was designated Naval Aviator #3256 in 1926. Graduated U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1921 (graduating in 1920 due to the World War).
LT Brandenburger, along with his entire crew of six, died when their seaplane crashed near Midway Is. in the Pacific during fleet exercises.
Despite a massive search effort by the U.S. Fleet, no bodies were ever recovered.

He was the executive officer of Patrol Squadron (VP) 6F, based in Pearl Harbor.

Harry has one memory marker in California and another in Illinois. He was survived by his wife, Jane Ferguson of California, and their adopted son, Charles, 14 years old, whom they had adopted only the week before. Harry was also survived by his parents and three brothers.

His name was on a plaque in Dahlgren Hall at the Naval Academy until sometime in late 1977 or early 1978, according to his great-nephew.

Family

From his great-nephew via email on June 10, 2020:

It is my understanding that his brother Oscar, my grandfather, born in 1900, was a skilled gymnast, obtained a degree in Civil Engineering from University of Illinois School of Mines (then known as University of Illinois Rolla), built infrastructure in Florida before World War II (he was civil construction manager of a bridge crossing the St. Johns River between Green Cove Springs and Orangedale, south of Jacksonville, which serviced the former Lee Navy Airfield. Lee Navy Airfield was the center of Navy A4 Avenger anti-submarine warfare against Uboats in the South Atlantic during World War II), and then building landing fields and related infrastructure during World War II. One top secret mission included building aircraft guidance beacons for an airstrip in the Caribbean. Because of the heavy infiltration of the South Atlantic with German U-Boats, he moved the equipment and materials needed for the project by wooden-hulled sailboats from the U. S. east coast to the building site, to avoid detection by U-boat.

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 1921

Ensign, USS Mississippi

Others at this command:

LT George Cuddihy '18

ENS Thomas Zellars '21

January 1922

Ensign, USS Barker

May 1923

Ensign, USS Abarenda

July 1923

Ensign, USS Abarenda

September 1923

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LTjg Samuel Arthur '20

ENS William McCrea '22

ENS Henry Batterton '23

November 1923

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LTjg Samuel Arthur '20

ENS William McCrea '22

ENS Henry Batterton '23

January 1924

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

ENS William McCrea '22

ENS Henry Batterton '23

March 1924

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

ENS William McCrea '22

ENS Henry Batterton '23

May 1924

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

ENS William McCrea '22

ENS Henry Batterton '23

July 1924

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

ENS Henry Batterton '23

ENS Willford Hyman '24

September 1924

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LT Albert Rooks '14

ENS Henry Batterton '23

ENS Willford Hyman '24

November 1924

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LT Albert Rooks '14

ENS Henry Batterton '23

ENS Willford Hyman '24

January 1925

Ensign, USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LT Albert Rooks '14

ENS Henry Batterton '23

ENS Willford Hyman '24

March 1925

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LT Albert Rooks '14

ENS Willford Hyman '24

May 1925

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS New Mexico

Others at this command:

LT Albert Rooks '14

July 1925

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command:

LTjg LaRue Lawbaugh '20
LTjg Addis Nelson '21
LTjg Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg John Jones '21
ENS Richard Waggener '22

ENS George Covell '22
LTjg William Davis '22
ENS Luther Schmidt '23
ENS George Lehman '23
ENS Joseph Rooney '23

ENS William Reddington '23
ENS Herbert Wescoat '23
ENS Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
ENS William Hobby, Jr. '23

October 1925

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command:

LT John Gillon '20
LT LaRue Lawbaugh '20
LTjg Addis Nelson '21
LTjg Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg John Jones '21
LTjg Richard Waggener '22

LTjg George Covell '22
LTjg William Davis '22
ENS Luther Schmidt '23
ENS George Lehman '23
2LT John Harris '23

ENS Joseph Rooney '23
ENS William Reddington '23
ENS Herbert Wescoat '23
ENS Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
ENS William Hobby, Jr. '23

January 1926

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Others at this command:

LT Dixie Kiefer '19
LT William Sample '19
LTjg William Butler, Jr. '20
LT John Gillon '20
LT LaRue Lawbaugh '20

LTjg Rogers Ransehousen '21
LTjg Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Richard Waggener '22
LTjg George Covell '22
ENS Luther Schmidt '23

ENS George Lehman '23
2LT John Harris '23
ENS Joseph Rooney '23
ENS William Reddington '23
ENS Matthias Marple, Jr. '23

October 1926

Lieutenant (j.g.), Observation Plane Squadron 2, USS Idaho

Others at this command:

LT Robert Smith, Jr. '19

ENS Harold Madsen '25

ENS John Reybold '26

January 1927

Lieutenant (j.g.), Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 2, USS Langley

Others at this command:

LCDR Francis Maile, Jr. '15

Others at or embarked at USS Langley:

LT Frederick Buse '20 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6)
LT John Jones '21 (Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet)

LTjg George Covell '22 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1)
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1)

April 1927

Lieutenant (j.g.), Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 2, USS Langley

Others at or embarked at USS Langley:

LTjg James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1)
LT John Jones '21 (Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet)

LTjg George Covell '22 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 1)

October 1927

Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 2B, USS New Mexico

Others at or embarked at USS New Mexico:

LT Festus Foster '19 (USS New Mexico)

ENS Julian Morrison, Jr. '25 (USS New Mexico)

January 1928

Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 2B, USS New Mexico

Others at or embarked at USS New Mexico:

LT Festus Foster '19 (USS New Mexico)

ENS Gerald Dyson '27 (USS New Mexico)

April 1928

Lieutenant, Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 2B, USS New Mexico

Others at or embarked at USS New Mexico:

LT Festus Foster '19 (USS New Mexico)

ENS Gerald Dyson '27 (USS New Mexico)

July 1928

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

October 1928

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

January 1929

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

April 1929

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

July 1929

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

October 1929

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

January 1930

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

April 1930

Lieutenant, Naval Air Station San Diego, California

October 1930

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Burton Doggett '24

LTjg Hilan Ebert '26
ENS William Potts '27

ENS Robert Haven '30
ENS Baylies Clark '30

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT Francis Bridget '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)

January 1931

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Burton Doggett '24

LTjg Hilan Ebert '26
ENS Robert Haven '30

ENS Baylies Clark '30

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT Francis Bridget '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)

April 1931

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Hilan Ebert '26

LTjg Harold Richards '27

ENS Baylies Clark '30

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LT Francis Bridget '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LT Arnold Isbell '21 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

LTjg Elmer Cooper '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
LTjg Robert Winters '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
ENS J. C. Riggs, Jr. '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)

July 1931

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Harold Richards '27
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27

ENS Baylies Clark '30
ENS Cleon Felton '31
ENS Walter Bailey '31

ENS Edward Allen '31
ENS Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LTjg John Waldron '24 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Elmer Cooper '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)

LTjg Robert Winters '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS J. C. Riggs, Jr. '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

October 1931

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Harold Richards '27
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27

ENS Baylies Clark '30
ENS John Craig '30
ENS Cleon Felton '31

ENS Walter Bailey '31
ENS Edward Allen '31
ENS Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LTjg John Waldron '24 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Elmer Cooper '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)

LTjg Robert Winters '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
LTjg J. C. Riggs, Jr. '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

January 1932

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27
ENS Baylies Clark '30

ENS John Craig '30
ENS Cleon Felton '31
ENS Walter Bailey '31

ENS Edward Allen '31
ENS Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LTjg John Waldron '24 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Elmer Cooper '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)

LTjg Robert Winters '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
LTjg J. C. Riggs, Jr. '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

April 1932

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27

ENS Baylies Clark '30
ENS John Craig '30

ENS Walter Bailey '31
ENS Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LTjg John Waldron '24 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Dick Downer '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Elmer Cooper '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)

LTjg Robert Winters '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
LTjg J. C. Riggs, Jr. '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

October 1932

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27
ENS Walter Bailey '31

ENS Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31
ENS John Fairbanks, Jr. '32
ENS Daniel Gothie '32

ENS Albert Major, Jr. '32
ENS William Thorn '32

Others at or embarked at this command:

LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16 (Aircraft Squadrons)
LT William Sample '19 (Aircraft Squadrons)
LT John Jones '21 (Aircraft Squadrons)
LT William Ault '22 (Torpedo and Bombing Squadron (VT) 1S)

LTjg Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5S)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3S)
ENS Edwin Kelly '30 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Lance Massey '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3S)

January 1933

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27
ENS Walter Bailey '31

ENS Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31
ENS John Fairbanks, Jr. '32
ENS Daniel Gothie '32

ENS Albert Major, Jr. '32
ENS William Thorn '32

Others at or embarked at this command:

LCDR Henry Mullinnix '16 (Aircraft Squadrons)
LT William Sample '19 (Aircraft Squadrons)
LT John Jones '21 (Aircraft Squadrons)
LT William Ault '22 (Torpedo and Bombing Squadron (VT) 1S)
LTjg Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5S)

ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3S)
ENS Edwin Kelly '30 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Victor Gaulin '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3S)
ENS Lance Massey '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3S)

April 1933

Lieutenant, USS Lexington

Others at this command:

CDR Henry Cecil '10
LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Eugene Lindsey '27

ENS Walter Bailey '31
ENS John Fairbanks, Jr. '32
ENS Daniel Gothie '32

ENS Albert Major, Jr. '32
ENS William Thorn '32

Others at or embarked at this command:

LT William Ault '22 (Torpedo and Bombing Squadron (VT) 1S)
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

ENS Edwin Kelly '30 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Victor Gaulin '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
ENS Lance Massey '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)