REXFORD J. OSTROM, LCDR, USN
Rexford Ostrom '39
Lucky Bag
From the 1939 Lucky Bag:
REXFORD JOHN OSTROM
Lapeer, Michigan
Rex, Ossie
We all loved those gorgeous Swedish girls of Youngster Cruise. Well, the ladies apparently feel the same way about Swedish boys, at least judging from Rex's case. They just can't resist his curly hair and unassuming manner. But Ossie's popularity doesn't end with the fairer sex--he's a man's man too. One hundred per cent of his acquaintances are friends as well. Besides making friends and thrilling the ladies, Rex has found time for football, wrestling, and a bit of track work. Unfortunately, he hasn't had as much success with academics. His bouts are usually pretty close, but he always manages to win even if it requires an extra period to do so. Rex's personality and his practical mind assure the Navy of another excellent officer.
Football 4, 3, 2, 1; Track 3, 2, 1; Wrestling 3, 2, 1; Battalion Rifle Team 3; Boat Club 3, 2; 1 Stripe.
REXFORD JOHN OSTROM
Lapeer, Michigan
Rex, Ossie
We all loved those gorgeous Swedish girls of Youngster Cruise. Well, the ladies apparently feel the same way about Swedish boys, at least judging from Rex's case. They just can't resist his curly hair and unassuming manner. But Ossie's popularity doesn't end with the fairer sex--he's a man's man too. One hundred per cent of his acquaintances are friends as well. Besides making friends and thrilling the ladies, Rex has found time for football, wrestling, and a bit of track work. Unfortunately, he hasn't had as much success with academics. His bouts are usually pretty close, but he always manages to win even if it requires an extra period to do so. Rex's personality and his practical mind assure the Navy of another excellent officer.
Football 4, 3, 2, 1; Track 3, 2, 1; Wrestling 3, 2, 1; Battalion Rifle Team 3; Boat Club 3, 2; 1 Stripe.
Loss
Rexford was lost when his F6F-5 Hellcat was shot down over the Ryukyu islands (possibly Okinawa).
(Note: that site says Iwo Jima for his place of loss; history of USS Santee (CVE 29) places Rexford nearly 1,000 miles away at the time.)
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Rexford was born in Elba township and was captain of the football team while attending Lapeer High School. He graduated in 1933 and then attended Michigan State college for two years.
He was stationed at Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack and shortly thereafter transferred to the naval air forces. He served 14 months in the Aleutians.
His widow was the former Virginia Dahlgren of Lapeer. They had a 3-year-old daughter Evelyn Lee, and their daughter Deborah Ann was born July 26, 1944, at the Santa Cruz hospital.
His father was Fred, a farmer; mother Ucb E., treasurer of the township; and two sisters, Esther and Ruth.
His wife was listed as next of kin.
Rexford is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.
Photographs
Photograph as a sophomore at Michigan State in 1935
From the Lucky Bag
Distinguished Flying Cross
From Hall of Valor:
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Lieutenant Commander Rexford J. Ostrom (NSN: 0-82602), United States Navy, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Fighter Pilot and Flight Leader embarked in U.S.S. SANTEE over the Ryukyus on 10 April 1945.
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 352 (July 1946)
Action Date: April 10, 1945
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Fighting Squadron
Division: U.S.S. Santee
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 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
Memorial Hall Error
Rexford is not on the killed in action panel in the front of 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.
