JOHN K. BISSON, LCDR, USN
John Bisson '30
Lucky Bag
From the 1930 Lucky Bag:
JOHN KENNETH BISSON
Charleston, Illinois
"Jokey" "Jack" "Buffalo"
IF you don't see Jakey, you can usually find him because of his many ways of making his presence known. Singing is his weakness, two-sixth and four-fifth notes his specialty; and his own famous phrase "Erre con erre cigarros—I don't know what it means, but you've got to roll your R's."
You will find him plugging away at something all year round, and no matter what he does you can be sure it is being done in a thorough manner. The academic departments have laid snares for him in vain, for his untiring determination has kept his name from those fatal lists.
Almost any season finds Jakey pacing out a few miles on the cinders; thus his billet on the varsity track team. He would rather run than eat. Have you an ailment? Bring it to Jakey; he can diagnose it as thoroughly as a doctor. Do you need bandages, tape or iodine? He has them all. But be human; don't ask for too much, because he will give you the shirt off his back.
He seldom drags. Though not a confirmed "Mike," he possesses temperate tastes. However, by the number of letters he writes, one would believe he had fan mail. Spelling is his weakness—"Say, how do you spell excentive, no axcentive—maybe it's incentive? Well, anyhow, spell it, will you?"
Track 4, 3, 2, 1, Numerals 4, 3, 2; Cross Country 3, 2, 1, Numerals 3; NA 2, 1; Wrestling 4.
JOHN KENNETH BISSON
Charleston, Illinois
"Jokey" "Jack" "Buffalo"
IF you don't see Jakey, you can usually find him because of his many ways of making his presence known. Singing is his weakness, two-sixth and four-fifth notes his specialty; and his own famous phrase "Erre con erre cigarros—I don't know what it means, but you've got to roll your R's."
You will find him plugging away at something all year round, and no matter what he does you can be sure it is being done in a thorough manner. The academic departments have laid snares for him in vain, for his untiring determination has kept his name from those fatal lists.
Almost any season finds Jakey pacing out a few miles on the cinders; thus his billet on the varsity track team. He would rather run than eat. Have you an ailment? Bring it to Jakey; he can diagnose it as thoroughly as a doctor. Do you need bandages, tape or iodine? He has them all. But be human; don't ask for too much, because he will give you the shirt off his back.
He seldom drags. Though not a confirmed "Mike," he possesses temperate tastes. However, by the number of letters he writes, one would believe he had fan mail. Spelling is his weakness—"Say, how do you spell excentive, no axcentive—maybe it's incentive? Well, anyhow, spell it, will you?"
Track 4, 3, 2, 1, Numerals 4, 3, 2; Cross Country 3, 2, 1, Numerals 3; NA 2, 1; Wrestling 4.
Loss
John was lost when USS Vincennes (CA 44) was sunk early in the morning of August 9, 1942 by Japanese surface forces at the Battle of Savo Island.
Other Information
From A Log of the Vincennes:
Lieutenant Commander Bisson was born at Abingdon, Illinois, on November 25, 1906. He was appointed Midshipman from the Nineteenth Illinois District on June 28, 1926, and was graduated from the United States Naval Academy four years later. From 1930 to 1932, he served on board the U.S.S. Texas and the U.S.S. Hatfield. He was commissioned Lieutenant (jg) February 26, 1934, to rank from June 5, 1933. On June 20. 1938, he was commissioned Lieutenant (sg) to rank from June 2 of that year. He served on the U.S.S. Lawrence from April 2, 1934, to September 24, 1934. He also served with Destroyer Squadron Five from November 26, 1934, to April 13, 1937.
On June 28, 1937, Lieutenant Commander Bisson went to the Naval Academy for instruction at the Post Graduate School where he remained until May 20, 1939. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to the Naval Boiler Laboratory, at Philadelphia, for further instruction. From June 23, 1939, to March 13, 1942, he served on board the U.S.S. Gridley as Engineer Officer and later as Executive Officer. On April 26, 1942, he reported for duty as Engineer Officer on the Vincennes, and while serving on that ship he was commissioned Lieutenant Commander to rank from June 15, 1942. He was among those listed as missing in action after the sinking of the Vincennes in the Battle of Savo Island. His wife, Mrs. Melba Bisson, lives at 565 Geary Street, Sail Francisco.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
John married Melba Basham in 1932. His father Walter was a physician, and his brother Maurice graduated from West Point in June, 1928, and became an aviator.
His wife was listed as next of kin; he was also survived by his parents, two brothers (one of whom was a graduate of West Point), and his sister. John has a memory marker in Illinois; he is also listed at the Courts of the Missing in Hawaii.
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
January 1931
July 1931
October 1931
January 1932
LT Jack Richardson '19
LT Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
LTjg Robert Larson '24
LTjg James McDonough '24
LTjg Charles McDonald '24
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26
April 1932
LT Jack Richardson '19
LT Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
LTjg Robert Larson '24
LTjg James McDonough '24
LTjg Charles McDonald '24
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26
LTjg Charles Signer '26
October 1933
April 1934
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
July 1936
January 1937
April 1937
September 1937
LT Robert Bedilion '22
LT William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Richard Gingras '25
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Ralph Hickox '27
LTjg John Bermingham '29
January 1938
LT Robert Bedilion '22
LT William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Richard Gingras '25
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Ralph Hickox '27
LT John Bermingham '29
July 1938
LT William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Hilan Ebert '26
LT John Bermingham '29
LT Egbert Roth '29
LT Victor Gaulin '30
LTjg Russell Ross '30
LTjg Raymond Mayo '30
January 1939
LCDR Robert Bedilion '22
LCDR William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Hilan Ebert '26
LT John Bermingham '29
LT Egbert Roth '29
LT Victor Gaulin '30
LT Russell Ross '30
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
