WILLIAM G. EATON, CDR, USN
William Eaton '21
Lucky Bag
From the 1921 Lucky Bag:
William Guy Eaton
Duluth, Minnesota
"Bill" "Lash-Brownie" "Wilyum"
"NOW when I was sailing the Great Lakes on the good ship Gopher I used to—" and then Bill will unfold a yarn which would make any old salt green with envy. Bill can tell many a good story about splicing the main brace, rounding the horns, and about his wild experiences in port.
He is one of the lucky mortals who never gets rhino and blue when things go wrong. However it does take an exception to make the rule and sometimes when that letter, pink and scented, from the Duluth girl doesn't arrive on time he does get a little dejected.
Ever since he has been in the Navy he has liked it and unlike many of us isn't adverse to telling that he likes it and intends to stay.
Like a true sailor Bill loves the women and the women seem to like Bill. Those eyes and eye lashes have raised havoc with many a girl.
Bill hasn't gone in much for athletics except of course those of the Mexican variety, and to be sure is a charter member of the old Radiator Club.
He is a great pal, always cheery and ready to help out in any way, and should make a good officer in this man's Navy.
Buzzard.
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. William was graduated with 1921A.
William Guy Eaton
Duluth, Minnesota
"Bill" "Lash-Brownie" "Wilyum"
"NOW when I was sailing the Great Lakes on the good ship Gopher I used to—" and then Bill will unfold a yarn which would make any old salt green with envy. Bill can tell many a good story about splicing the main brace, rounding the horns, and about his wild experiences in port.
He is one of the lucky mortals who never gets rhino and blue when things go wrong. However it does take an exception to make the rule and sometimes when that letter, pink and scented, from the Duluth girl doesn't arrive on time he does get a little dejected.
Ever since he has been in the Navy he has liked it and unlike many of us isn't adverse to telling that he likes it and intends to stay.
Like a true sailor Bill loves the women and the women seem to like Bill. Those eyes and eye lashes have raised havoc with many a girl.
Bill hasn't gone in much for athletics except of course those of the Mexican variety, and to be sure is a charter member of the old Radiator Club.
He is a great pal, always cheery and ready to help out in any way, and should make a good officer in this man's Navy.
Buzzard.
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. William was graduated with 1921A.
Loss
William was lost when USS Astoria (CA 34) was sunk during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. He was the ship's navigator.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
William attended Central High School and was a member of the class of 1918. In the school’s 1917 yearbook, William, a junior, was listed among 30 students serving in the military. He was attending preparatory school.
He married Edna S. Smith on July 5, 1921, in Boston. Their children were twins, Jane and William, born in March, 1922, in Charleston, South Carolina.
In the 1880’s, his father Guy was a special agent for the U.S. government land office located in St. Cloud. Later, he was a Captain in the USNR and was the “father” of the Minnesota naval militia. During WWI, he commanded the U.S.S. Iowa. He died in April, 1924, and was buried in Forest Hill cemetery. William’s mother was Jessie, brother was Richard, and sisters were Vera and Mildred.
His wife was listed as next of kin; he was also survived by a son, William Jr (USNA 1945) who passed away in 2011.
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 1922
May 1923
July 1923
September 1923
November 1923
January 1924
March 1924
May 1924
July 1924
September 1924
November 1924
January 1925
March 1925
October 1926
January 1927
April 1927
October 1927
January 1928
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July 1928
October 1928
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July 1929
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January 1931
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October 1932
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July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
LTjg Walter Dey '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg James McDonough '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Edwin Kelly '30 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 1B)
LTjg Baylies Clark '30 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 1B)
ENS Philip Ashworth '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
April 1935
LTjg Walter Dey '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LT James McDonough '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Baylies Clark '30 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 1B)
LTjg Philip Ashworth '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
October 1935
LT James McDonough '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Baylies Clark '30 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 1B)
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
January 1936
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
April 1936
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
July 1936
LTjg Vernon Hain '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B)
LTjg Philip Ashworth '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Truman Carpenter '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
January 1937
LTjg William Freshour '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LTjg Vernon Hain '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B)
LTjg Philip Ashworth '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Joseph Loughlin, Jr. '32 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
LTjg Ludwell Pickett, Jr. '33 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg William Kane '33 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
April 1937
LTjg William Freshour '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 2B)
LTjg Vernon Hain '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B)
LTjg Philip Ashworth '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg Joseph Loughlin, Jr. '32 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
LTjg Ludwell Pickett, Jr. '33 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
LTjg William Kane '33 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
September 1937
LT Ralph Smith '26 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LT Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
LTjg George Klinsmann '33 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg William Kane '33 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
January 1938
LT Ralph Smith '26 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LT Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
LTjg George Klinsmann '33 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg William Kane '33 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
July 1938
January 1939
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
Memorial Hall Error
William was promoted to Commander on July 12, 1942. Memorial Hall has LCDR.
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