AUGUSTUS H. ALSTON, JR., LCDR, USN
Augustus Alston, Jr. '31
Lucky Bag
From the 1931 Lucky Bag:
Augustus Howard Alston, Jr.
Augusta, Georgia
"Caesar"
It was only by chance that Caesar became connected with the circulation department of the "Log", but it was fortunate for all concerned. His motto has always been "If you want a thing done right, do it yourself." So, many study periods have found him soliciting subscriptions or collecting payments. Academics suffered; but along about the last month of the term, he'd always be found to have made it. It has been due to his willingness to sacrifice class standing that the circulation department of the "Log" has been run in such a businesslike manner. This has led directly to his election as manager of the same branch in the "Lucky Bag".
Shortly before finishing high school he became a wanderer, and now he will probably be one the rest of his days. Caesar's real hobby outside of eating and sleeping is pistol shooting, and his proficiency with an officer's weapon is to be envied.
Above all, he is a good "wife" and that is "nough said."
Log Staff 4, 3, 2; Circulation Manager, Log; Two Stripes
Augustus Howard Alston, Jr.
Augusta, Georgia
"Caesar"
It was only by chance that Caesar became connected with the circulation department of the "Log", but it was fortunate for all concerned. His motto has always been "If you want a thing done right, do it yourself." So, many study periods have found him soliciting subscriptions or collecting payments. Academics suffered; but along about the last month of the term, he'd always be found to have made it. It has been due to his willingness to sacrifice class standing that the circulation department of the "Log" has been run in such a businesslike manner. This has led directly to his election as manager of the same branch in the "Lucky Bag".
Shortly before finishing high school he became a wanderer, and now he will probably be one the rest of his days. Caesar's real hobby outside of eating and sleeping is pistol shooting, and his proficiency with an officer's weapon is to be envied.
Above all, he is a good "wife" and that is "nough said."
Log Staff 4, 3, 2; Circulation Manager, Log; Two Stripes
Loss
Augustus was lost when USS Pickerel (SS 177) was sunk by Japanese vessels north of Honshū on April 3, 1943. He was the boat's commanding officer.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Unfortunately, I could NOT find a final link to this prominent family: Augustus Holmes Alston was a judge, lawyer and Confederate soldier. His portrait was donated in 1926 to the Alabama State Department of Archives and History to be hung on the walls of the state house. His son was living in Havana, Cuba, at the time and was assistant manager of the Federal Reserve Bank. The Alston family was well-known in South Carolina. Joseph Alston, who became governor in 1812, married Theodosia Burr in 1801, daughter of Col. Aaron Burr.
His father was a railroad clerk and telegraph operator for the Georgia railroad. His mother was Lucia; his brother was Marcus, and his sisters were Margaret and Martha. Augustus graduated from the Academy of Richmond County before entering the Naval Academy. He and his wife Elma Watkins Alston had a son Donald born in 1939 in California.
Augustus attended the Old Richmond Academy (Academy of Richmond County High School) on Telfair street. In 1922, he was a private in Company C.
Augustus and his wife Elma traveled from Cristobal, Canal Zone, to New York City in May, 1938. Their home address was Emporia, Virginia.
in June, 1944, Augustus posthumously received a submarine combat pin and a citation for his performance against the enemy .
His father Augustus (1881-1948) worked for the railroad, mother Lucia, brother Marion, and sisters Margaret (Mrs. Mitchell Speth) and Martha (Mrs. Simpson). His grandfather was Thomas Howard Alston (1851-1943,) and his great-grandmother was Elizabeth Alston.
Augustus is listed at the Courts of the Missing in Hawaii.
Photographs
From the Augusta Chronicle August 17, 1943
From the Asheville Citizen Times on August 21, 1943
Career
From the now-broken link http://www.fleetorganization.com/subcommandersclassyear3.html:
- Duty Superintendent of Construction Electric Boat Company Groton 1 Jul 1939 - 1 Jul 1940
- Duty 16th Naval District 1 Nov 1940
- Executive Officer USS Pickerel (SS-177) 1 Jan 1941 - 8 Oct 1942
- Captain USS Pickerel (SS-177) 8 Oct 1942 - Apr 1943
He also served aboard USS Texas (BB 35), USS Louisville (CA 28), USS S-12 (SS 121), and USS S-46 (SS 157).
- Lieutenant (j.g.) 4 Jun 1934
- Lieutenant 1 Jul 1939
- Lieutenant Commander (T) 15 Jun 1942
Bronze Star
Unable to find the citation for this medal.
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.
July 1931
October 1931
January 1932
April 1932
LT Jack Richardson '19
LT Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
LTjg Robert Larson '24
LTjg James McDonough '24
LTjg Charles McDonald '24
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26
LTjg Charles Signer '26
October 1932
January 1933
April 1933
July 1933
ENS Harold MacFarlane '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg William Pennewill '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
ENS Henry Brossy '31 (USS Chicago)
ENS Charles Mallory, Jr. '32 (USS Chicago)
October 1933
ENS Harold MacFarlane '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
LTjg William Pennewill '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
April 1934
July 1934
ENS Leo Crane '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 10S)
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
April 1937
September 1937
January 1938
July 1938
January 1939
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
