LEE S. PANCAKE, LCDR, USN

Lee Pancake '31

Date of birth: April 24, 1907

Date of death: October 26, 1942

Age: 35

Lucky Bag

From the 1931 Lucky Bag:

Lee Sylvester Pancake

Glentana, Montana

"Lee "

Nonchalance has ever been Lee's most prominent characteristic. Even the fact that he left dear old Montana for a life on the sea failed to excite him in the least, as it has done most of us.

A determined nature and steady application have helped him to steer clear of the dreaded academics. His willingness always to help out a pal has endeared him to all of his friends — and they are many.

Though the perusal of philosophical literature may be considered dull recreation, yet Lee has learned to like it and to secure wonderful results from his delvings. Perhaps that accounts for his nonchalance. His composure is perfect, even in the heat of an athletic contest. He seems to function best there.

Wrestling has been his claim to fame, and we know from good old experience that he is a "wow" when it comes to tying another person up in knots.

A ready willingness to lend a hand and an ever firm and energetic desire to be a friend to all.

Class Wrestling 4, 3, 2, 1; Class Numerals; 2 P. O.

Lee Sylvester Pancake

Glentana, Montana

"Lee "

Nonchalance has ever been Lee's most prominent characteristic. Even the fact that he left dear old Montana for a life on the sea failed to excite him in the least, as it has done most of us.

A determined nature and steady application have helped him to steer clear of the dreaded academics. His willingness always to help out a pal has endeared him to all of his friends — and they are many.

Though the perusal of philosophical literature may be considered dull recreation, yet Lee has learned to like it and to secure wonderful results from his delvings. Perhaps that accounts for his nonchalance. His composure is perfect, even in the heat of an athletic contest. He seems to function best there.

Wrestling has been his claim to fame, and we know from good old experience that he is a "wow" when it comes to tying another person up in knots.

A ready willingness to lend a hand and an ever firm and energetic desire to be a friend to all.

Class Wrestling 4, 3, 2, 1; Class Numerals; 2 P. O.

Loss

Lee was killed in action on October 26, 1942 when he was struck by a a machine gun shell while aboard USS Morris (DD 417). He was on the staff of Destroyer Squadron 2, which was embarked on Morris.

(Link to DESRON 2 inoperable as of April 7, 2022. http://destroyerhistory.org/goldplater/desron2/ )

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Lee graduated from Malta High School in 1925. There were only 12 graduates in the senior class.
He enlisted in the U. S. Navy in Butte, Montana, and was enrolled in the preparatory school for the naval academy at San Diego. He passed the entrance examinations, ranking at the head of his class. Two other Montana boys also gained entrance: S. T. Nelson and L. M. Rouse, both of Butte. They each received $800 a year while at the Naval Academy. The cost of the education was $40,000 each.
After passing the entrance examination, Lee spent a few weeks assisting Chief Petty Officer E. Fleming in the recruiting station at Great Falls, Montana.
The Great Falls Tribune, Montana, on July 10, 1942 reported that Lee had been the Russell’s executive officer for nine months and was scheduled to become its commanding officer.

From Find A Grave:

Malta, Mont., Nov. 3. — Lieut. Com. Lee Pancake, 35, of the navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Pancake of Malta, was killed in action in the south Pacific and buried at sea, according to word received by his parents.
Pancake was born in North Dakota and came to Phillips county, Montana, about 20 years ago with his parents, who homesteaded north of Wagner. He was graduated from Malta high school and from Annapolis. His career in the navy was brilliant as is indicated by the fact that he was one of the youngest lieutenant commanders.
He was married in Maryland. His wife is living on the west coast. Other survivors are three sisters, Mrs. Carl Veseth, Malta; Mrs. Rudolph Erickson, Saco; Mrs. Gilbert P. Richardson, Chester; and four brothers, Dick of Malta; Leslie and James of Central Valley, Calif.; and Stanley of North Wagner.
No details of the action in which Pancake lost his life were learned and the name of his ship was withheld at the request of the naval officers.

His wife was listed as next of kin; he has a memory marker in North Dakota.

Navy Cross

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Lee Sylvester Pancake (NSN: 0-70263), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Engineering Officer of Destroyer Squadron TWO, during the operations against enemy Japanese forces off the Santa Cruz Islands, on 26 October 1942. When hostile planes launched a vicious raid against the task force to which his group was attached, Lieutenant Commander Pancake, with cool courage and utter disregard for his own personal safety, unhesitatingly volunteered to go aloft to the director platform. There, although perilously exposed to violent attack by low-flying enemy staffers, he rendered valuable assistance in the spotting of Japanese aircraft until he was killed. His conspicuous initiative and unyielding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Action Date: October 26, 1942
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Engineering Officer
Division: Destroyer Squadron 2

Photographs

From the Great Falls Tribune on November 8, 1942

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.