RONALD B. HUTCHINSON, LT, USN
Ronald Hutchinson '41
Lucky Bag
From the 1941 Lucky Bag:
RONALD BAXTER HUTCHINSON
Washington, D.C.
After Hutch entered the Academy, it was months before even his closest friends found out that he was a Navy Junior. This was not because he tried to hide the fact, far from it, but because of his friendly and unassuming manner.
Throughout his schooling, Hutch has been very successful in his studies winding up as valedictorian in high school and standing two in the presidential "Compets" for the Academy. His output in ergs was small but his class standing—well, he has stars on his collar. Having spent quite a few years of his life in California, Hutch picked up and became "pretty hot" at two of sunny(?) California's favorite sports—swimming and tennis. Our subject, however, is too inclined to relax to take either of these sports seriously enough to try out for the varsity.
Being one of those affable gents who can get along with the most temperamental of individuals, Ronnie has lots of honest-to-goodness friends and that speaks well of any man.
Tennis 4; Battalion Tennis 3, 2, 1; Battalion Swimming 3; Boat Club 3, 2,1.
The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.
RONALD BAXTER HUTCHINSON
Washington, D.C.
After Hutch entered the Academy, it was months before even his closest friends found out that he was a Navy Junior. This was not because he tried to hide the fact, far from it, but because of his friendly and unassuming manner.
Throughout his schooling, Hutch has been very successful in his studies winding up as valedictorian in high school and standing two in the presidential "Compets" for the Academy. His output in ergs was small but his class standing—well, he has stars on his collar. Having spent quite a few years of his life in California, Hutch picked up and became "pretty hot" at two of sunny(?) California's favorite sports—swimming and tennis. Our subject, however, is too inclined to relax to take either of these sports seriously enough to try out for the varsity.
Being one of those affable gents who can get along with the most temperamental of individuals, Ronnie has lots of honest-to-goodness friends and that speaks well of any man.
Tennis 4; Battalion Tennis 3, 2, 1; Battalion Swimming 3; Boat Club 3, 2,1.
The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.
Loss
Ronald was lost when USS Hopewell (DD 681) was damaged by a large shore battery while operating near Corregidor, Manila Bay, Philippines on February 14, 1945.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Ronald was born in Pennsylvania. His father was Commodore Myron W. Hutchinson (USNA 1915), and his mother was Heather. In 1930 they lived in Washington, D. C. with his grandmother Margaret Baxter. His brothers were David and Kenneth (’53.)
In 1935, Ronald lived in Coronado, California.
His father retired from the Navy in 1949, and in April 1950, his wife was hospitality co-chair for the Naval Academy Woman’s Club meeting with guest of honor Mrs. Harry S. Truman.
He is buried in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. His mother was listed as next of kin.
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.
April 1941
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