RICHARD F. CROSS, JR., LT, USN
Richard Cross, Jr. '21
Lucky Bag
From the 1921 Lucky Bag:
Richard F. Cross, Jr.
Wilmington, Delaware
"Madame" "Dick" "Red"
WITH his big blue eyes and bewitching curl, Madame cuts quite a path among the fair sex. Unfortunately he lives only for the "little girls at home." Yes, Dick is already very much married and his daily letter is the envy of many.
In duty, as in love, Madame is conscientious, which fact was evidenced by his rapid promotion. Parlor activities or "Thipping Thider" at Shanley's never had a grip on Dick, but, that cruise in New York gave him plenty of opportunity to see the "wife."
Academic work has been plain sailing for Dick and his practical knowledge in Steam has helped many over the rough spots. Madame has great persuasive powers, ask any Second Classman, he has a way of convincing you that you are wrong that doesn't leave any sour thoughts when he reports all lates.
To us Dick is a man. One of the kind who are a great help to those in trouble. Wherever he goes his messmates will find him an efficient officer and a pal.
Buzzard; Chief Petty Officer; One Stripe.
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. Richard was graduated with 1921A.
Richard F. Cross, Jr.
Wilmington, Delaware
"Madame" "Dick" "Red"
WITH his big blue eyes and bewitching curl, Madame cuts quite a path among the fair sex. Unfortunately he lives only for the "little girls at home." Yes, Dick is already very much married and his daily letter is the envy of many.
In duty, as in love, Madame is conscientious, which fact was evidenced by his rapid promotion. Parlor activities or "Thipping Thider" at Shanley's never had a grip on Dick, but, that cruise in New York gave him plenty of opportunity to see the "wife."
Academic work has been plain sailing for Dick and his practical knowledge in Steam has helped many over the rough spots. Madame has great persuasive powers, ask any Second Classman, he has a way of convincing you that you are wrong that doesn't leave any sour thoughts when he reports all lates.
To us Dick is a man. One of the kind who are a great help to those in trouble. Wherever he goes his messmates will find him an efficient officer and a pal.
Buzzard; Chief Petty Officer; One Stripe.
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. Richard was graduated with 1921A.
Loss
Richard was lost when the airship USS Akron (ZRS 4) crashed off the coast of New Jersey on April 4, 1933.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Richard attended Wilmington High School in Delaware.
He was appointed alternate to the Naval Academy by Congressman Miller. When the principal failed, Richard passed all examinations successfully to enter the Academy.
His wife was Marion Adele. Their children were Richard who was born in Honolulu and Joanne who was born in Maryland.
His father Richard was chief warden of the New Castle County Workhouse, but he was dismissed in 1920 after a scandal. He later became an instructor at a vocational school. Richard’s mother was Catherine, and his sister was Elsie, a nurse.
He was survived by a wife and son, Richard Jr.; it appears his name carried to Richard III, as well. Richard has a memory marker in New Jersey.
Akron's executive officer, LCDR Herbert V. Wiley '15, one of only three survivors, was filmed shortly after the crash:
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.
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Related Articles
William Moffett '90, Fred Berry '08, Henry Cecil '10, Frank McCord '11, Harold Maclellan '18, Joseph Severyns '20, George Calnan '20, Herbert Wescoat '23, Robert Sayre '24, Charles Callaway '24, Hammond Dugan '24, Charles Miller '25, Charles Redfield '26, Wilfred Bushnell '26, and Cyrus Clendening '27 were also lost aboard Akron.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
