FRANK C. FECHTELER, LT, USN
Frank Fechteler '18
Lucky Bag
From the 1918 Lucky Bag:
FRANK FECHTELER
San Rafael, California
"Fech" "Frank"
FECH'S exuberance of spirits and radiant good fellowship cannot be suppressed for very long at a time, and the coining of a catchy phrase is only one of his social accomplishments. It's rather hard for him to be serious—anyone could tell that by looking at his cherubic countenance. Responsibilities and cares rest lightly on his shoulders, but he surely can cheer things up wherever he stops—the best compliment ever paid a man.
His ready smile and open-hearted generosity, though, conceal honest-to-goodness intents and purposes. A favorite subject for discussion with him is making good in the Fleet. While perhaps not over-religious in the details of Academy existence, Fech has been indoctrinated—doubtless through his Navy forebears—with a man-size outlook of a naval officer's job. His greatest trouble is that he never lets work interfere with pleasure, and it has resulted in some close academic shaves, but the Lord always takes care of a happy man.
He went out for swimming for a few minutes plebe year, but there are so many distracting things to do on Saturday, you know. Frankly, we believe he is more in his element as he is.
Frank can't resist the captivating graces and charms of the "Kindergarten," and he just waited around until first class year to personally supervise their training and education, that is, when he wasn't restricted and had to get Gin to drag for him.
"SO help me!"
"AS I live!"
Buzzard.
The Class of 1918 was graduated on June 28, 1917 due to World War I.
FRANK FECHTELER
San Rafael, California
"Fech" "Frank"
FECH'S exuberance of spirits and radiant good fellowship cannot be suppressed for very long at a time, and the coining of a catchy phrase is only one of his social accomplishments. It's rather hard for him to be serious—anyone could tell that by looking at his cherubic countenance. Responsibilities and cares rest lightly on his shoulders, but he surely can cheer things up wherever he stops—the best compliment ever paid a man.
His ready smile and open-hearted generosity, though, conceal honest-to-goodness intents and purposes. A favorite subject for discussion with him is making good in the Fleet. While perhaps not over-religious in the details of Academy existence, Fech has been indoctrinated—doubtless through his Navy forebears—with a man-size outlook of a naval officer's job. His greatest trouble is that he never lets work interfere with pleasure, and it has resulted in some close academic shaves, but the Lord always takes care of a happy man.
He went out for swimming for a few minutes plebe year, but there are so many distracting things to do on Saturday, you know. Frankly, we believe he is more in his element as he is.
Frank can't resist the captivating graces and charms of the "Kindergarten," and he just waited around until first class year to personally supervise their training and education, that is, when he wasn't restricted and had to get Gin to drag for him.
"SO help me!"
"AS I live!"
Buzzard.
The Class of 1918 was graduated on June 28, 1917 due to World War I.
Loss
Frank was lost on September 18, 1922 when the plane he was piloting crashed at Selfridge Field, Michigan.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
His plane was a Spad army biplane which stalled 150 feet in the air, went into a tail spin and crashed. He arrived a week before from the U. S. S. Langley where he was in charge of the ship’s planes. Aviators who witnessed the ascent believed he gained altitude too suddenly causing the motor to stall. He was to pilot the Curtiss navy racer in the Pulitzer race in October.
Other Information
From Find A Grave:
Lieutenant F. C. Fechteler, USN, was designated Naval Aviator #2883 in 1920. Graduated U. S. Naval Academy in 1917 (one year early due to the World War), Class of 1918. While preparing to compete in the Pulitzer Trophy Race of 1922, LT Fechteler was killed in an airplane crash at Selfridge Field, Mich. He was the son of Rear Admiral Augustus Francis Fechteler, USN, (USNA, Class of 1877) who passed away in 1921.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
In June 1912, Frank won a bronze button for physical education at H. D. Cooke Elementary School in Washington, D. C. In the eighth grade, he passed the three tests: “chin” or “pull-up” four times, 5 feet 9 inches standing broad jump, and doing the 60-yard dash in 0:8 3-5 or better.
In December Frank’s parents threw a party at the army and navy game in Philadelphia. Frank, his sister Margaret, other family and friends went over in a special car from Washington. His brother William joined them later.
Frank graduated from Western High School in 1913. He had a part in the second scene of the school performance of Ponce de Leon in search of the fountain of youth.
He was appointed to the Naval Academy by Senator Perkins.
On July 17, 1917, his sister Margaret married Lieutenant Commander Herbert Emery Kays (Class of 1905) in the Kay Chapel at Newport, Rhode Island. Frank and his brother William (Class of 1916) were ushers.
In late August 1919, Frank brought the U.S.S. Oregon to San Francisco to take part in Fleet Week. A Victory Ball was also held at the Exposition Auditorium with all Admiral Rodman’s squadron in attendance. Frank then took the ship to Astoria, Oregon.
In April 1920, Frank attended the dinner dance on the U.S.S. Texas which was moored in San Francisco. The officers and women attendees later partied at the St. Francis hotel.
Frank's other sisters were Elizabeth (Mrs. John Manners) and Amy (Mrs. Robert Hicks.)
Frank is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Namesakes
USS Fechteler (DE 157) was named for both Frank and his father; the ship was sponsored by Frank's niece.
USS Fechteler (DD 870) was named for them both as well; the ship was again sponsored by Frank's niece.
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.
March 1918
January 1919
January 1920
January 1921
January 1922
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