JAMES S. CLARKSON, LT, USN
James Clarkson '30
Lucky Bag
From the 1930 Lucky Bag:
JAMES STROUD CLARKSON
Passaic, New Jersey
"Chicken" "Jimmy"
PROUD resident of "Mosquito Country" and erstwhile advertiser of "Bennie Friedman," and his illustrious tribe, Chick has acquired from his home environment the very essence of the strike spirit seemingly prevalent in his native Passaic.
His particular mystery is his unfailing fidelity to no less a master than Cupid. After a leave with his master this warm spot of fidelity burns still brilliantly.
Boning troubled the boy little, or anything else for that matter. Discipline, neatness and precision came easy to him and were accepted in a manner characterized by careless accomplishment.
A big heart has most soundly imprinted his memory in the affections of his many friends, especially so since we all must remember love has left him but half a heart. Doubtless Jimmy never read Don Byrnne; but he is therefore no less, from every appearance and manner, a disciple of "A clear conscience, a kindly heart, and a good punch in both hands."
2 P.O.
JAMES STROUD CLARKSON
Passaic, New Jersey
"Chicken" "Jimmy"
PROUD resident of "Mosquito Country" and erstwhile advertiser of "Bennie Friedman," and his illustrious tribe, Chick has acquired from his home environment the very essence of the strike spirit seemingly prevalent in his native Passaic.
His particular mystery is his unfailing fidelity to no less a master than Cupid. After a leave with his master this warm spot of fidelity burns still brilliantly.
Boning troubled the boy little, or anything else for that matter. Discipline, neatness and precision came easy to him and were accepted in a manner characterized by careless accomplishment.
A big heart has most soundly imprinted his memory in the affections of his many friends, especially so since we all must remember love has left him but half a heart. Doubtless Jimmy never read Don Byrnne; but he is therefore no less, from every appearance and manner, a disciple of "A clear conscience, a kindly heart, and a good punch in both hands."
2 P.O.
Loss
From Naval Bulletin of June 1942:
Chief Machinist’s Mate, DeVries, was posthumously commended for attempting to rescue the late Lieutenant James S. Clarkson, U. S. Navy, from asphyxiation and drowning aboard a naval vessel on February 7, 1942. Lieutenant Clarkson had been overcome by gas in a compartment in which he was working and had fallen into about two feet of water. DeVries’ commanding officer reported that after entering the compartment he became aware of the presence of gas, and instead of attempting to leave the unconscious officer and save his own life, warned other men not to enter the dangerous space and directed them to get a line with which to remove Clarkson. Both Lieutenant Clarkson and Chief Machinist’s Mate DeVries perished in the compartment.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
James attended Schools No. 9 and 11, and he graduated from Passaic High School in 1925. James and his sister Lillian were both in the chorus for the Passaic High School performance of the “H. M. S. Pinafore” in April 1925. In May, James sang bass in the production of Hayden’s “Creation.” James was also a member of the Dramatic Club.
In April, 1925, James was named second alternate to the Naval Academy by Congressman George N. Seger. The next year on March 4, 1926, he was appointed by Congressman Seger.
His parents and sisters Lillian and Margaret attended the Army-Navy game in Chicago on November 27, 1926.
James and the former Margaret Katherine Geiger were married on June 15, 1930. When James died, their children were Margaret Katherine, 11, James, Jr., 9, and Elizabeth, 4.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, James wrote his wife that he lost all his belongings including the Christmas gifts he had bought for the children.
His father Rutgers was a railroad clerk, and his mother was Lily. His brothers were R. Louis, an attorney, and Lieutenant Commander Arthur Anderson Clarkson (’22). His sisters were Katherine (Mrs. William Conway,) Margaret (Mrs. Allan Dill) and Lilly Mae “Nicky” (Mrs. Walter E. Stager.)
James is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by a son, who is also buried in Arlington National Cemetery; the son retired as a Lieutenant Commander.
Photographs
From The Herald News on February 11, 1942
From Hall of Valor:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (Posthumously) to Lieutenant James S. Clarkson, United States Navy, for heroic conduct as a volunteer diver engaged in Pearl Harbor salvage operations following the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941. Lieutenant Clarkson unhesitatingly made many hazardous dives in essential underwater work and by his tireless efforts contributed greatly to the success of the salvage operations.
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 325 (April 1944)
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
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.
October 1930
LT William Sample '19 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Creighton Lankford '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Charles Signer '26 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
January 1931
LT William Sample '19 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Creighton Lankford '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Charles Signer '26 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
April 1931
LT William Sample '19 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Creighton Lankford '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Charles Signer '26 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg John Eldridge, Jr. '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
July 1931
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
October 1931
LT Edwin Conway '20 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
January 1932
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
April 1932
LTjg Walter Leach, Jr. '24 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Robert Symes '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Julian Greer '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS Mathias Wyatt '29 (Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Force)
ENS William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
October 1932
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS James Kyes '30 (Aircraft Squadrons)
January 1933
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg Mathias Wyatt '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS James Kyes '30 (Aircraft Squadrons)
April 1933
LT Matthias Marple, Jr. '23 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Eugene Davis '27 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Renwick Calderhead '27 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS Weldon Hamilton '28 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
LTjg William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg William Oliver '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS Mack Vorhees '30 (Aircraft Squadrons)
ENS James Kyes '30 (Aircraft Squadrons)
July 1933
LT Matthias Marple, Jr. '23 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
2LT Ernest Pollock '28 (Scouting Squadron 14-M)
LTjg William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Mathias Wyatt '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
LTjg Lloyd Greenamyer '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
ENS Cleon Felton '31 (Aircraft Squadrons)
ENS James Murphy '31 (Aircraft Squadrons)
ENS George Stone '31 (Aircraft Squadrons)
October 1933
LT Matthias Marple, Jr. '23 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
2LT Ernest Pollock '28 (Scouting Squadron 14-M)
LTjg William Arthur '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Mathias Wyatt '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 6B)
ENS Cleon Felton '31 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 2B)
ENS James Murphy '31 (Torpedo Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
ENS George Stone '31 (Aircraft Squadrons)
April 1934
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
July 1936
January 1937
April 1937
September 1937
January 1938
July 1938
January 1939
October 1939
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