WILLIAM B. MASON, JR., LCDR, USN
William Mason, Jr. '37
Lucky Bag
From the 1937 Lucky Bag:
WILLIAM BARTON MASON, JR.
Orange, Virginia
"Billy" "Punchy" "Rosebud"
Though at first a military career had been Bill's aspiration, one visit to Annapolis decided him in favor of the first line of defense. Early in plebe summer, he displayed his love of physical activity. Since then he has used his leisure moments to play football and baseball, and in offseason to get a workout boxing or playing basketball. Vowing from the time he toted his first laundry bag of gear up three decks that a fireplace was more to be desired than life in the Navy, Bill nevertheless is secretly a true salt. Witness the rolling gait that he exhibits.
Football 4, 3, 2, 1, N. Baseball 4, 3, 2, 1, N. Two Stripes.
WILLIAM BARTON MASON, JR.
Orange, Virginia
"Billy" "Punchy" "Rosebud"
Though at first a military career had been Bill's aspiration, one visit to Annapolis decided him in favor of the first line of defense. Early in plebe summer, he displayed his love of physical activity. Since then he has used his leisure moments to play football and baseball, and in offseason to get a workout boxing or playing basketball. Vowing from the time he toted his first laundry bag of gear up three decks that a fireplace was more to be desired than life in the Navy, Bill nevertheless is secretly a true salt. Witness the rolling gait that he exhibits.
Football 4, 3, 2, 1, N. Baseball 4, 3, 2, 1, N. Two Stripes.
Loss
William was lost when USS Capelin (SS 289) was lost in early December 1943, possibly to a mine or surface attack.
Other Information
William, as a Lieutenant, was awarded a "commendation for meritorious service" "on the occasion of a serious battery fire on his ship."
His parents were listed as next of kin.
William is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
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.
September 1937
LCDR Irving Wiltsie '21 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
LT William Pye, Jr. '28 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)
LTjg George Bellinger '32 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)\
LTjg Edwin Hurst '32 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)
January 1938
LCDR Irving Wiltsie '21 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
LT William Pye, Jr. '28 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)
July 1938
LT William Pye, Jr. '28 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)\
LT John Yoho '29 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
LTjg John Spiers '32 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)\
LTjg James Reilly '32 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)
LTjg George Nicol '34 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 3)\
ENS David Taylor, Jr. '35 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
ENS William Hulson '36 (Aircraft, Battle Force)
January 1939
LT John Waldron '24 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 3)\
LT John Yoho '29 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
LTjg John Spiers '32 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)
LTjg George Nicol '34 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 3)\
LTjg David Taylor, Jr. '35 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
ENS William Hulson '36 (Aircraft, Battle Force)
October 1939
LT Harrington Drake '31 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
LTjg John Spiers '32 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)
LTjg John Ennis '35 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 3)\
ENS Raymond Vogel, Jr. '36 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 3)
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
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