WILLIAM G. EATON, CDR, USN
William Eaton '21
Lucky Bag
From the 1921 Lucky Bag:
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.
His wife was listed as next of kin; he was also survived by a son, William Jr (USNA 1945).
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
Ensign, USS Dupont
May 1923
Ensign, USS Mercy
July 1923
Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island
Others at this command:
September 1923
Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island
Others at this command:
November 1923
Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island
Others at this command:
January 1924
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hatfield
March 1924
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hatfield
May 1924
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hatfield
July 1924
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hatfield
September 1924
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Hatfield
November 1924
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Nitro
January 1925
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Nitro
March 1925
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Nitro
October 1926
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Nitro
January 1927
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Nitro
April 1927
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
October 1927
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Others at this command:
January 1928
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Others at this command:
April 1928
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Others at this command:
July 1928
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
October 1928
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Others at this command:
January 1929
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Others at this command:
April 1929
Lieutenant, Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia
Others at this command:
July 1929
Lieutenant, USS Luzon
October 1929
Lieutenant, USS Luzon
January 1930
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Luzon
April 1930
Lieutenant, executive officer, USS Luzon
January 1931
Lieutenant, USS Pope
April 1931
Lieutenant, USS Pope
January 1932
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
April 1932
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
October 1932
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
January 1933
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
April 1933
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
July 1933
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
October 1933
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
April 1934
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
July 1934
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
October 1934
Lieutenant, ROTC instructor, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
January 1935
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
April 1936
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Eugene Lytle, Jr. '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg George Ottinger '32 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
July 1936
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, USS Lexington
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
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
Lieutenant, officer in charge, Navy Recruiting Station Buffalo, New York
January 1939
Lieutenant Commander, officer in charge, Navy Recruiting Station Buffalo, New York
October 1939
Lieutenant Commander, officer in charge, Navy Recruiting Station Buffalo, New York
June 1940
Lieutenant Commander, USS Astoria
Others at this command:
November 1940
Lieutenant Commander, USS Astoria
Others at this command:
April 1941
Lieutenant Commander, USS Astoria
Others at this command:
Others at or embarked at this command:
Class of 1921
William is one of 32 members of the Class of 1921 on Virtual Memorial Hall.