TORREY W. EATON, LTJG, USN

Torrey Eaton '41

Date of birth: November 7, 1919

Date of death: October 26, 1942

Age: 22

Lucky Bag

From the 1941 Lucky Bag:

TORREY WADE EATON

Hollywood, California

Torsion entered the service with a nautical background. His grandfather held the now non-existent rank of Commodore. Playing with the old gentleman's sword and listening to his stories, Torrey came to understand the fascination of the naval profession.

A deep love has made the inter-leave periods drag by very slowly at times. The academics have suffered so the daily letter would leave on time. The Ring Dance with its double ring ceremony cemented his faith.

Personally, Torsion is a pretty fair partner. His athletic efforts are confined to brief sessions on the handball court or track, followed by ample rest periods. A good argument is always welcome, particularly on the subject of bridge. Musically, he likes the classics, played very loud and over and over again, while he adds his own deep voice to the confusion. But these are the things that make a man different that make association with him to be remembered.

The Log 4, 3; Battalion Crew 3, 2.

The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.

TORREY WADE EATON

Hollywood, California

Torsion entered the service with a nautical background. His grandfather held the now non-existent rank of Commodore. Playing with the old gentleman's sword and listening to his stories, Torrey came to understand the fascination of the naval profession.

A deep love has made the inter-leave periods drag by very slowly at times. The academics have suffered so the daily letter would leave on time. The Ring Dance with its double ring ceremony cemented his faith.

Personally, Torsion is a pretty fair partner. His athletic efforts are confined to brief sessions on the handball court or track, followed by ample rest periods. A good argument is always welcome, particularly on the subject of bridge. Musically, he likes the classics, played very loud and over and over again, while he adds his own deep voice to the confusion. But these are the things that make a man different that make association with him to be remembered.

The Log 4, 3; Battalion Crew 3, 2.

The Class of 1941 was the first of the wartime-accelerated classes, graduating in February 1941.

Loss

Torrey was one of 57 men lost aboard USS Smith (DD 378) on October 26, 1942 when the ship was heavily damaged by attacking aircraft while screening USS Enterprise (CV 6) and USS Hornet (CV 8). The ship was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her action that day.

Other Information

Torrey has a memory marker in California, another in New York 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.