HUBERT W. WAGER, LTJG, USN
Hubert Wager '41
Lucky Bag
From the 1941 Lucky Bag:
HUBERT WARREN WAGER
Titusville, Pennsylvania
A slim powerful figure poised on the edge of the swimming pool waiting for the bark of the starter's gun . . . this is the picture of Hube that most of us will retain in our minds. Swimming has long held the pre-eminent position in Hube's extra-curricular activities and his efforts have been rewarded with noteworthy success. The allegorical phrase, "still waters run deepest," is perhaps the most apt description of Hube. Reserved in manner and quiet in speech as he may appear to a casual acquaintance his warm-hearted spontaneity and cheerfulness are well-known to his many friends. The finer things in life interest Hube. Extensive reading of good literature, coupled with an inherent love of music, result in his having acquired an amazing store of cultural knowledge. The plebe looking for the answer to a perplexing question of the arts will sooner or later be referred to the best source of such information—Hube.
Swimming, 4, 3, 2, 1; sNt*, Captain 1; Boat Club, 3, 2, 1; Reception Committee, 2, 1; Newman Club, 4, 3, 2, 1.
The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.
HUBERT WARREN WAGER
Titusville, Pennsylvania
A slim powerful figure poised on the edge of the swimming pool waiting for the bark of the starter's gun . . . this is the picture of Hube that most of us will retain in our minds. Swimming has long held the pre-eminent position in Hube's extra-curricular activities and his efforts have been rewarded with noteworthy success. The allegorical phrase, "still waters run deepest," is perhaps the most apt description of Hube. Reserved in manner and quiet in speech as he may appear to a casual acquaintance his warm-hearted spontaneity and cheerfulness are well-known to his many friends. The finer things in life interest Hube. Extensive reading of good literature, coupled with an inherent love of music, result in his having acquired an amazing store of cultural knowledge. The plebe looking for the answer to a perplexing question of the arts will sooner or later be referred to the best source of such information—Hube.
Swimming, 4, 3, 2, 1; sNt*, Captain 1; Boat Club, 3, 2, 1; Reception Committee, 2, 1; Newman Club, 4, 3, 2, 1.
The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.
Loss
Hubert was lost when USS Monssen (DD 436) was sunk on November 13, 1942 at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
Other Information
He has a memory marker in Pennsylvania. His father was listed as next of kin.
Photographs
From the Lucky Bag's "Stripers" page
From the Lucky Bag, captioned "'Captain' Wager"
From the Lucky Bag's page on the swim team
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.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
