MILTON G. STEPHENS, LTJG, USN
Milton Stephens '33
Lucky Bag
From the 1933 Lucky Bag:
MILTON GEORGE STEPHENS
San Diego, California
"Steve" "Ambrose"
"I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky." Steve is a man who hails from God's country, or at least if you ask him he will admit that California, especially San Diego, is about the best place in the world. Having lived near the ocean practically all his life, Steve felt the urge that all famous sea-faring men have had, when he was but a boy. In fact he got his sea-legs trying to ride sea-lions while indulging in his favorite pastime of surf swimming.
"Snaking" comes as natural to him as his ability to swim, and he has taken every advantage of dining-out privileges and liberty to be with the fair sex. However, sports such as swimming and wrestling have taken a great deal of his spare time.
There are times when Steve has a mysterious air about him and we can never quite delve into his deep and thoughtful ponderings. He believes that the riddle of this great Universe can be solved and he spends many evening study hours thoughtfully looking into the great, twinkling heavens. It may be that he is developing a new theory, but we think it's love.
A passion for dreamy music, and a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life made him a fine roommate. A craving for knowledge, especially that of the sea, will make him a good officer. Could we ask for more?
Wrestling 4, 3, 2; Reception Committee 3, 2; 2 P. O.
MILTON GEORGE STEPHENS
San Diego, California
"Steve" "Ambrose"
"I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky." Steve is a man who hails from God's country, or at least if you ask him he will admit that California, especially San Diego, is about the best place in the world. Having lived near the ocean practically all his life, Steve felt the urge that all famous sea-faring men have had, when he was but a boy. In fact he got his sea-legs trying to ride sea-lions while indulging in his favorite pastime of surf swimming.
"Snaking" comes as natural to him as his ability to swim, and he has taken every advantage of dining-out privileges and liberty to be with the fair sex. However, sports such as swimming and wrestling have taken a great deal of his spare time.
There are times when Steve has a mysterious air about him and we can never quite delve into his deep and thoughtful ponderings. He believes that the riddle of this great Universe can be solved and he spends many evening study hours thoughtfully looking into the great, twinkling heavens. It may be that he is developing a new theory, but we think it's love.
A passion for dreamy music, and a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life made him a fine roommate. A craving for knowledge, especially that of the sea, will make him a good officer. Could we ask for more?
Wrestling 4, 3, 2; Reception Committee 3, 2; 2 P. O.
Loss
Milton was lost on October 30, 1936 when, "during dive bombing practice at Border Field, San Diego, the left wings of an F3F1 tore off at 1,500 feet and the aircraft plunged into the ground." He had been transferred to Fighting Squadron (VF) 6B, aboard USS Saratoga (CV 3), in July, after earning his wings.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Born in Colorado, Milton graduated from San Diego High School in 1928.
He married Edna M. Marsh on December 28, 1931, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Milton along with five other ensigns completed the short optical course at the Optical School in Mare Island in September 1934. They all then returned to their ships.
Milton’s father George was a machinist in a pipe factory, mother Lola, and brothers Warren and Robert.
From the 1953 edition of the book "Double Three Roundup," published by the class of 1933:
We have been able to obtain no information on Steve from the time he graduated until his death in 1936. On 30 October of that year, Steve, a Lieutenant (jg), was killed in an airplane crash at Border Field in San Diego, California. Steve's remarried widow, Mrs. Edna MacDonald, lives in Riva, Maryland.
On June 12, 1936 he earned his wings as naval aviator #4259.
He is buried in California.
Photographs
From his high school yearbook
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 1933
October 1933
April 1934
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
LT James Craig '22
LT Richard Moss '24
LTjg John Duke '26
1LT Ernest Pollock '28
LTjg William Pennewill '29
LTjg Robert Coates '30
1LT Nicholas Pusel '30
LTjg Gilbert Carpenter '30
LTjg Lance Massey '30
1LT Harold Bauer '30
January 1936
LT James Craig '22
LTjg John Duke '26
1LT Ernest Pollock '28
LTjg William Pennewill '29
LTjg Gilbert Carpenter '30
LTjg Lance Massey '30
1LT Harold Bauer '30
April 1936
LTjg John Duke '26
1LT Ernest Pollock '28
LTjg William Pennewill '29
LTjg Gilbert Carpenter '30
LTjg Lance Massey '30
LTjg William Sisko '31
LTjg Charles Mallory, Jr. '32
July 1936
LTjg John Duke '26
CAPT Ernest Pollock '28
LTjg William Pennewill '29
LTjg Gilbert Carpenter '30
LTjg Lance Massey '30
LTjg William Sisko '31
LTjg Charles Crommelin '31
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
