MILTON F. PAVLIC, LCDR, USN

Milton Pavlic '32

Date of birth: September 27, 1909

Date of death: November 15, 1942

Age: 33

Lucky Bag

From the 1932 Lucky Bag:

MILTON FRANK PAVLIC

Rittman, Ohio

"Peter" "Pav"

A new star appeared in our heavens four years ago—not a real star, but just Milton from the constellation Rittman. In finding his way here he followed no gravitational law, but simply drifted in. Western Reserve University with its chemistry, biology, and other pre-medical bores made him decide that breaking bones must be more fun than mending them. This idea, backed by others of more patriotic origin, won the day for the Navy and here he is.

"A vigorous youth, with lots of dash, daring, and dexterity." This phrase sums up his outward characteristics. It tells why his roommate suffers with envy every time the mail comes and why he dons his monkey jacket as a matter of routine on Saturday nights. The dexterity part explains the existence of a number of rather strangely constructed but useful articles in his room. These are products of an inborn desire to invent which often crops out in spare moments. In spite of these drawbacks, Milton sails smoothly through academics without a care and never a moment in the ranks of the wooden.

Plebe Fencing; Class Swimming; Juice Gang; 1 P.O.

MILTON FRANK PAVLIC

Rittman, Ohio

"Peter" "Pav"

A new star appeared in our heavens four years ago—not a real star, but just Milton from the constellation Rittman. In finding his way here he followed no gravitational law, but simply drifted in. Western Reserve University with its chemistry, biology, and other pre-medical bores made him decide that breaking bones must be more fun than mending them. This idea, backed by others of more patriotic origin, won the day for the Navy and here he is.

"A vigorous youth, with lots of dash, daring, and dexterity." This phrase sums up his outward characteristics. It tells why his roommate suffers with envy every time the mail comes and why he dons his monkey jacket as a matter of routine on Saturday nights. The dexterity part explains the existence of a number of rather strangely constructed but useful articles in his room. These are products of an inborn desire to invent which often crops out in spare moments. In spite of these drawbacks, Milton sails smoothly through academics without a care and never a moment in the ranks of the wooden.

Plebe Fencing; Class Swimming; Juice Gang; 1 P.O.

Loss

Milton was lost on November 15, 1942 when USS South Dakota (BB 57) was damaged by Japanese surface gunfire during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Milton graduated from Rittman high school. He was appointed to the Naval Academy by Congressman McSweeney of Wooster, Ohio, in July, 1928.
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Milton and Ensigns Edgar Griffith Chase and Nicholas J. Nicholas traveled to the Pacific coast together. Milton was assigned to New York, Chase to Texas and Nicholas to Maryland.
In Honolulu in February, 1938, a welcoming party was given to Milton and his new wife, the former Patricia O. Dwyer. They were married in Kitsap, Washington, on October 4, 1937.
Milton, his wife and daughter Patricia left with 53 other navy families on the Lurline from Pearl Harbor in June, 1939. In September, he was assigned to USS Barney while it was being fitted out and commissioned.
After being an instructor at the Naval Academy, Milton was assigned to sea duty in August 1942.
Milton’s father was Thomas, proprietor of a garage who later was a saloonkeeper. Milton’s mother was Teresa, and sisters were Mollie, Teresa, Julia, Mary and Francis. Mary and Francis’ births were not recorded until 1942. Mary was born May 19, 1913, at 813 Wooster Avenue, Barberton, Ohio. Francis’ was born on January 18, 1916, on the “corner of Snyder and Elm Streets” in Barberton.
Milton and his parents were born in Nemska Vas, Slovenia, Austria. His father arrived in the U.S. in 1903, his mother in 1905, and both were naturalized in 1913.
Milton was survived by his widow, daughter Patricia and one other child.

From a now-broken link at https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Milton%20F.%20Pavlic:

Milton Frank Pavlic was born in Trieste, Italy, on 27 December 1909 and grew up in Rittman, Ohio. During the 1927-1928 academic year he attended Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, as a pre-medical student.
Pavlic was appointed a midshipman on 25 June 1928. He attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and was commissioned as an ensign on 2 June 1932.
As an ensign, lieutenant, junior grade, and lieutenant, Pavlic served aboard the battleships USS New York (BB-34) and USS Mississippi (BB-41), the destroyer USS Tracy (DD-214), the destroyer tender USS Melville (AD-2), and the destroyer USS Barney (DD-149), and from 17 June 1940 to 9 March 1942 he served at the Naval Academy. He then helped fit out the new battleship USS South Dakota (BB-57), and was on board her when she was commissioned on 20 March 1942. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 15 June 1942.
South Dakota served in the Pacific during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, and in the Guadalcanal campaign. In the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal early on 15 November 1942, South Dakota's task force engaged a force of Japanese warships and was badly damaged in the action. Lieutenant Commander Pavlic died in the battle.

His wife was listed as next of kin.

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.