JAMES R. BROMEYER, MAJ, USMC

James Bromeyer '37

Date of birth: September 15, 1915

Date of death: September 7, 1944

Age: 28

Lucky Bag

From the 1937 Lucky Bag:

JAMES RICHARD BROMEYER

St. Louis, Missouri

"Rich"

We ought either be silent or speak things better than silence," say Pythagoras and Bromeyer. So, when the discussion reaches the boiling-point, Rich's words are very apt to settle the issue. This applies to other fields as well—he is quiet until his energy is demanded. A rebel against the system, but luckily not a member of the left wing, Rich led the competition for the "Griping Crown" of the cell. Much of Rich's time not spent in the gym was given over to being fascinated by the feminine element. Reading books on philosophy and medicine occupied the remainder.\
\
Boxing 2, Wrestling 4, One Stripe.

JAMES RICHARD BROMEYER

St. Louis, Missouri

"Rich"

We ought either be silent or speak things better than silence," say Pythagoras and Bromeyer. So, when the discussion reaches the boiling-point, Rich's words are very apt to settle the issue. This applies to other fields as well—he is quiet until his energy is demanded. A rebel against the system, but luckily not a member of the left wing, Rich led the competition for the "Griping Crown" of the cell. Much of Rich's time not spent in the gym was given over to being fascinated by the feminine element. Reading books on philosophy and medicine occupied the remainder.\
\
Boxing 2, Wrestling 4, One Stripe.

Loss

James was lost when the Shin'yō Maru, a POW ship, was torpedoed by USS Paddle (SS 263) on September 7, 1944.

He was a Captain of D Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines at the time of his capture.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In December 1932, James was recommended to West Point as a second alternate by Representative Niedringhaus. His father George, a bookkeeper at an Iron works, died before 1920. His brother George was a president of a commercial financial company, and his sister was Ethel.

As of July 2013 a collector had James' dress blue uniform (previously linked at http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=684461).

His mother was listed as next of kin.

Note some sources, and his Prisoner of War Medal citation below, have James as a Captain. The St. Louis Star and Times on August 29, 1942, however, reported that he had been promoted to Major while in missing status "today."

Richard is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Prisoner of War Medal

From Hall of Valor:

Captain James R. Bromeyer (MCSN: 0-5568), United States Marine Corps, was captured by the Japanese after the fall of Corregidor, Philippine Islands, on 6 May 1942, and was held as a Prisoner of War until his death while still in captivity.
General Orders: NARA Database: Records of World War II Prisoners of War, created, 1942 - 1947
Action Date: May 6, 1942 - Died in Captivity
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Captain
Division: Prisoner of War (Philippine Islands)

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.