MAX W. SCHAEFFER, LTCOL, USMC
Max Schaeffer '28
Lucky Bag
From the 1928 Lucky Bag:
MAX WILLIAM SCHAEFFER
Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania
"Max" "Dutch"
AFTER one year as a freshman at Lehigh, Max donned the white works and became one of the boys on 16 June, '24. For him Plebe Year had its strifes and tribulations, and "olivewoil and winegar." Yet he smiled and took it all in fun as the "———days and a butt" grew smaller, for he possessed that unassuming, carefree disposition of a "Hail fellow well met" that has won him a high esteem with his classmates.
The melancholy memory of some sweet damsel far away has seared the soul of all of Bancroft's sons-—but not the "Flying Dutchman." He loves and laughs, and laughs again—he loves them all, you see. The Hops have been his joy in life, and D.O.'s his affliction.
As a knight of the diamond Max has expressed his athletic desires on class teams. As wrestling manager he has shown his ability as a coach and a leader.
But now the years of "one stripe" and "two diags," and last, his first class year have pased by, for Midshipmen days have come and gone. His winning personality will cheer the memory in years to come of many a service man in a distant station on recalling old acquaintance with "Auld Lang Syne"—a true friend, classmate, and shipmate.
Class Baseball (4, 3, 2, 1), Numerals (2); Wrestling Manager (2, 1), wNAt (2), wNmt (1); Bowling (1); One Stripe.
MAX WILLIAM SCHAEFFER
Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania
"Max" "Dutch"
AFTER one year as a freshman at Lehigh, Max donned the white works and became one of the boys on 16 June, '24. For him Plebe Year had its strifes and tribulations, and "olivewoil and winegar." Yet he smiled and took it all in fun as the "———days and a butt" grew smaller, for he possessed that unassuming, carefree disposition of a "Hail fellow well met" that has won him a high esteem with his classmates.
The melancholy memory of some sweet damsel far away has seared the soul of all of Bancroft's sons-—but not the "Flying Dutchman." He loves and laughs, and laughs again—he loves them all, you see. The Hops have been his joy in life, and D.O.'s his affliction.
As a knight of the diamond Max has expressed his athletic desires on class teams. As wrestling manager he has shown his ability as a coach and a leader.
But now the years of "one stripe" and "two diags," and last, his first class year have pased by, for Midshipmen days have come and gone. His winning personality will cheer the memory in years to come of many a service man in a distant station on recalling old acquaintance with "Auld Lang Syne"—a true friend, classmate, and shipmate.
Class Baseball (4, 3, 2, 1), Numerals (2); Wrestling Manager (2, 1), wNAt (2), wNmt (1); Bowling (1); One Stripe.
Loss
Max was lost on January 29, 1945, while a prisoner of war of the Japanese. It's unclear exactly which path he took, though he was aboard Oryoku Maru. It is likely that he was then taken aboard Brazil Maru, which reached Moji on January 29.
Prior to his capture at the fall of Corregidor, he was the Services Company Commander for the 4th Marines; he was in command of the regimental reserve during the Japanese assault on that island.
Wartime Service
From Corregidor.org:
The new organization went into bivouac in Government Ravine as part of the regimental reserve. The reserve had heretofore consisted of men from the Headquarters and Service Companies, reinforced by Philippine Air cadets and Marines from Bataan. Major Max W. Schaeffer, who had replaced Major King as reserve commander, had organized this force of approximately 250 men into two tactical companies, O and P. Company O was commanded by Captain Robert Chambers, Jr. and Company P by Lieutenant Hogaboom; the platoons were led by Marine warrant officers and senior NCOs.
A good part of Schaeffer's men had primary duties connected with regimental supply and administration, but each afternoon the companies assembled in the bivouac area where the troops were instructed in basic infantry tactics and the employment of their weapons. Despite the constant interruptions of air raids and shellings, the Marines and Filipinos had a chance "to get acquainted with each other, familiarize themselves with each others' voices, and to learn [the] teamwork" so essential to effective combat operations. Frequently, Major Schaeffer conducted his company and platoon commanders on reconnaissance of beach defenses so that the reserve leaders would be familiar with routes of approach and terrain in each sector in which they might fight.
There is more mentioned about Max's actions during the frenetic action on Corregidor following the Japanese landing.
Remembrances
From History Net:
Major Schaeffer, the bravest man I have ever known, asked for volunteers to see if there was anything left of Battery Geary, and up the hill we went.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Max graduated from Womelsdorf High school in 1923 with three other seniors. He gave the salutatory address, “The Problems of Immigration.”
After graduating from the Naval Academy, he attended the six-week aviation course consisting of aviation groundwork, aerial gunnery, observation, bombing and actual piloting.
He married Mrs. Margarita Eugenio on February 12, 1933, in San Francisco. His step-daughter was Consuelo, born in 1930.
Max, his wife Margarita and his sister Ruth attended the Navy-Penn game at Franklin Field in October, 1937.
He was transferred from Shanghai, China, to the Philippines shortly before the outbreak of the war.
At the time of the Japanese invasion, Max was a major in charge of motorized equipment. The promotion to lieutenant colonel came after his capture.
The VFW Post in Womelsdorf was named in Max’s honor.
His father Charles was a bank cashier, mother Annie and sisters Orpha, Helen and Ruth (Mrs. Silas McHenry.)
His wife was listed as next of kin.
Prisoner of War Medal
From Hall of Valor:
Major Max W. Schaeffer (MCSN: 0-4357), 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
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Major
Related Articles
Francis Williams '30 was closely and frequently involved with Max on Corregidor.
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.
July 1928
LCDR Norman Scott '11
LCDR Albert Rooks '14
LCDR Cassin Young '16
LT John Gillon '20
LT John Burrow '21
LT Joseph Hubbard '21
LT Edwin Crouch '21
LTjg Howard Healy '22
October 1928
January 1929
April 1929
July 1929
October 1929
January 1930
April 1930
October 1930
January 1931
April 1931
January 1933
April 1933
July 1933
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
January 1938
July 1938
CAPT John Heil '28 (Marine Corps Schools, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
1LT Hector De Zayas '32 (1st Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
2LT Robert Moore '36 (1st Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
January 1939
CAPT John Heil '28 (Marine Corps Schools, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
CAPT Chandler Johnson '29 (Marine Corps Schools, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
1LT John Butler '34 (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
2LT Robert Moore '36 (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
October 1939
CAPT John Heil '28 (Marine Corps Schools, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
CAPT Robert Brown '31 (Marine Corps Schools, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
1LT Robert Moore '36 (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia)
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
Memorial Hall Error
One memorial, and the USMC casualty lists, have his rank as LTCOL. In Memorial Hall he is a Major. Posthumous promotion? Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps of 1945 has Major. (Have been unable to locate a 1946 edition of this document.)
Max is one of 17 members of the Class of 1928 on Virtual 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.
