LOUIS M. LEHARDY, LCDR, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Louis LeHardy '26

Date of birth: February 18, 1905

Date of death: November 13, 1942

Age: 37

Lucky Bag

From the 1926 Lucky Bag:

1926 LeHardy LB.jpg

Louis Marcel LeHardy

Savannah, Georgia

"Diz" "Piddle"

INJURIES received in swimming during his Youngster year caused this youthful Adonis to spend a sojourn in the Hospital. Just this forced the Class of '25 to hand him back to us. And we received him with open arms in spite of the fact that he had already acquired that terrible name of "Diz." Because really this Southern gentleman is a living example of the old proverb "What's in a name?" Could you just see him standing by the window, the luster of moonbeams playing over his countenance, chanting with a trembling voice some esoteric sesames into whose mysteries we all crave to delve, you might possibly think that he had a slight inclination towards the following of his subtitle; and, gentle reader, you would be right.

His craving for music and the light fantastic easily won him a place on the Hop Committee. He wears no man's collar! And during the swimming season we find him showing the coach how. He comes up for air long enough to inquire about the assignment for the next hour and then submerges again. If he's sat he's satisfied, and he's always that.

Lay off him, women, he's a one-girl man! Panlo!

Swimming Squad (4, 3, 2, 1), Numerals (3, 2); Hop Committee (2, 1); Black N****.

1926 LeHardy LB.jpg

Louis Marcel LeHardy

Savannah, Georgia

"Diz" "Piddle"

INJURIES received in swimming during his Youngster year caused this youthful Adonis to spend a sojourn in the Hospital. Just this forced the Class of '25 to hand him back to us. And we received him with open arms in spite of the fact that he had already acquired that terrible name of "Diz." Because really this Southern gentleman is a living example of the old proverb "What's in a name?" Could you just see him standing by the window, the luster of moonbeams playing over his countenance, chanting with a trembling voice some esoteric sesames into whose mysteries we all crave to delve, you might possibly think that he had a slight inclination towards the following of his subtitle; and, gentle reader, you would be right.

His craving for music and the light fantastic easily won him a place on the Hop Committee. He wears no man's collar! And during the swimming season we find him showing the coach how. He comes up for air long enough to inquire about the assignment for the next hour and then submerges again. If he's sat he's satisfied, and he's always that.

Lay off him, women, he's a one-girl man! Panlo!

Swimming Squad (4, 3, 2, 1), Numerals (3, 2); Hop Committee (2, 1); Black N****.

Loss

Louis was lost when USS San Francisco (CA 38) was severely damaged during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942.

He was a member of the staff of Admiral Daniel Callaghan '11, who was also killed during this action.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In 1920, Louis received his passport and traveled to visit relatives in France and Belgium and tour Holland and Spain. He was 15 years old, 5’4”, with blue eyes and light brown hair.

He was survived by his wife Sarah and children Linda and Ward.

His father Louis was a cotton exporter who died in 1913. His mother was Julia, brother Frank and sister Julia.

His wife was listed as next of kin. He has a memory marker in the Naval Academy Cemetery, where his wife is buried. Their young son, who died in 1933, is also buried there.

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 Louis Marcel LeHardy, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Communications Officer on board the Heavy Cruiser U.S.S. SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38), during an engagement with Japanese naval forces near Savo Island on the night of 12 - 13 November, 1942. On this occasion the force to which Lieutenant Commander LeHardy was attached engaged at close quarters and defeated a superior enemy force, inflicting heavy damage upon them and preventing the accomplishment of their intended mission. This daring and intrepid attack, brilliantly executed, led to a great victory for his country's forces. By his indomitable fighting spirit, expert seamanship, and gallant devotion to duty, Lieutenant Commander LeHardy contributed largely to the success of the battle and upheld 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. 312 (March 1943)
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander

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 Rochester

Others at this command:
January 1927
Ensign, USS Rochester

Others at this command:
April 1927
Ensign, USS Rochester

Others at this command:
October 1927
Ensign, USS Converse

Others at this command:
January 1928
Ensign, USS Converse

Others at this command:
April 1928
Ensign, USS Converse

Others at this command:
July 1928
Ensign, USS Converse
October 1928
Ensign, USS Converse
January 1929
Ensign, USS Converse
April 1929
Ensign, USS Converse
July 1929
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Converse
October 1929
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Converse
January 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Converse
April 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Manley
October 1930
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Tracy
January 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Tracy
April 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Tracy
July 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Tracy
October 1931
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Tracy
January 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Tracy
April 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Smith Thompson
October 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Smith Thompson
January 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Smith Thompson
April 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), Receiving Ship, New York
October 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Maryland


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS Frank Fernald '33 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 4B)
January 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Maryland


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS Frank Fernald '33 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 4B)
April 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Maryland


Others at or embarked at this command:
ENS Frank Fernald '33 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 4B)
July 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), staff, Cruiser Division 2, USS Trenton

Others at or embarked at USS Trenton:
January 1937
Lieutenant, staff, Cruiser Division 2, USS Trenton
April 1937
Lieutenant, staff, Cruiser Division 2, USS Trenton
September 1937
Lieutenant, staff, Cruiser Division 2, USS Trenton
January 1938
Lieutenant, staff, Cruiser Division 2, USS Trenton
July 1938
Lieutenant, USS Houston

June 1940
Lieutenant, commanding officer, USS Zane
November 1940
Lieutenant, commanding officer, USS Zane
April 1941
Lieutenant, commanding officer, USS Zane

Namesake

USS LeHardy (DE 20) was named for Louis. The ship was originally intended for the Royal Navy, and therefore was not sponsored by his wife or other relation.


Class of 1926

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

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