HAROLD D. HAIL, 2LT, USMC

Harold Hail '21

Date of birth: May 29, 1898

Date of death: June 10, 1924

Age: 26

Lucky Bag

From the 1921 Lucky Bag:

Harold Durst Hail

Crockett, Texas

"Tex"

"FROM: Ismoka Stogi,
To: Editor Hon. Lucky Bag.
Subject: Saltwater Slim
1. Ed. I are stand in ranks at peace with world and Exec. Dept. when I hear noise like sixteen inch gun go off next to port ear. When I regain conscience, I find it are only old friend Slim, who now sport three stripes, whispering to Hon. Co. to parade rest. Three companies. Regimental Staff, and D. O. all execute command. He possess wonderful lung.

2. Tex are noted for following: Photography, hot line, awful mush, and swimming ability. He are great lover of liberty, and sure do get away with same. Slim have also sling hot line in Log for past two years, and as ring master in Gymkhana were Hon. riot. He have rate First Class for three years and on U.S.S. Minnie he rate Lieut. Com.

3. As I have before note, Tex are three striper by virtue of voice and grease. When serious, which he are on occasion, he show great responsibility. May good luck guide path of his Hon. No. 10's.

Yours 'til Texas go Repub.

Ismoka Stogi

Three Stripes; Photographic Editor Lucky Bag; Log Staff (2); Managing Editor (1); Class Crest Committee (4).

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. Harold was graduated with 1921B.

Harold Durst Hail

Crockett, Texas

"Tex"

"FROM: Ismoka Stogi,
To: Editor Hon. Lucky Bag.
Subject: Saltwater Slim
1. Ed. I are stand in ranks at peace with world and Exec. Dept. when I hear noise like sixteen inch gun go off next to port ear. When I regain conscience, I find it are only old friend Slim, who now sport three stripes, whispering to Hon. Co. to parade rest. Three companies. Regimental Staff, and D. O. all execute command. He possess wonderful lung.

2. Tex are noted for following: Photography, hot line, awful mush, and swimming ability. He are great lover of liberty, and sure do get away with same. Slim have also sling hot line in Log for past two years, and as ring master in Gymkhana were Hon. riot. He have rate First Class for three years and on U.S.S. Minnie he rate Lieut. Com.

3. As I have before note, Tex are three striper by virtue of voice and grease. When serious, which he are on occasion, he show great responsibility. May good luck guide path of his Hon. No. 10's.

Yours 'til Texas go Repub.

Ismoka Stogi

Three Stripes; Photographic Editor Lucky Bag; Log Staff (2); Managing Editor (1); Class Crest Committee (4).

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. Harold was graduated with 1921B.

Loss

Harold was lost when the plane he was piloting crashed near Garrisonville, Virginia on June 10, 1924. The other person aboard, a Corporal, was also killed.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Harold wrote a number of articles that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. He edited various college publications while in school.

Harold was survived by his father, who later died by suicide, despondent over Harold's death.

Harold is buried in Texas.

Photographs

From The Houston Post on June 12, 1924

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

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.