WARD BRONSON, LCDR, USN
Ward Bronson '31
Lucky Bag
From the 1931 Lucky Bag:
Ward Bronson
Rochester, New York
"Bronny"
Upon first acquaintance with that drawl you cannot help but know that Bronny is from the state of New York, and as a Navy Junior his subsequent school days were somewhat scattered. Rochester, Panama, California, and Annapolis are all familiar; so he entered the Naval Academy thoroughly versed in the ways of the world.
To us it may seem strange that one in a "naval atmosphere" should be so interested in the hunting game. We note with concern and yet with approval that the photographs of the fair sex which formerly adorned his locker have now been replaced by those of horses and hounds.
As a pal and companion, Betty is always ready to lend a hand or join in in time of fun. Quiet and level-headed, he limits his best friends to a comparative few; but to these he shows his sincere esteem and consideration that is truly appreciated. Possessed of an inquisitive mind and an amazing ability for observing small details, coupled with a breadth of common sense, he will always hold his own.
Tennis Squad 4, 3, 2; G. P. O.
Ward Bronson
Rochester, New York
"Bronny"
Upon first acquaintance with that drawl you cannot help but know that Bronny is from the state of New York, and as a Navy Junior his subsequent school days were somewhat scattered. Rochester, Panama, California, and Annapolis are all familiar; so he entered the Naval Academy thoroughly versed in the ways of the world.
To us it may seem strange that one in a "naval atmosphere" should be so interested in the hunting game. We note with concern and yet with approval that the photographs of the fair sex which formerly adorned his locker have now been replaced by those of horses and hounds.
As a pal and companion, Betty is always ready to lend a hand or join in in time of fun. Quiet and level-headed, he limits his best friends to a comparative few; but to these he shows his sincere esteem and consideration that is truly appreciated. Possessed of an inquisitive mind and an amazing ability for observing small details, coupled with a breadth of common sense, he will always hold his own.
Tennis Squad 4, 3, 2; G. P. O.
Loss
Ward was lost on January 29, 1943, when USS Chicago (CA 29) was sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers at the Battle of Rennell Island.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Ward graduated from St. James school in Maryland. Librarian Jennifer E. Sherman, Dean of Faculty and librarian, confirmed his attendance although there is no yearbook from 1927. In the 1926 yearbook, he was listed as a student from the Canal Zone, Panama.
Ward married Rosemary Reilly in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank, North Carolina, on December 18, 1940.
His father was Captain Amon Bronson (‘1896). His mother was Charlotte (Ward.) Sisters were Marion and Mary. His grandparents were Amon and Emma Smith Bronson and Frank and Mary Ward. They were prominent families in Rochester, New York. The Amon Bronson house there was built in 1848.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ny0275.photos?st=gallery
From The Yonkers Herald, New York, September 29, 1928:
[Spanish-American War Veterans attended the annual Havana convention in 1928. Admiral Cluverius related details of his rescue from the sinking of the Maine 30 years earlier.]
“The evening of February 15,” Admiral Cluverius says, “was clear and warm. Tension was high between the United States and Spain and the watches aboard the Maine had been doubled. The Maine had been detached from the Atlantic fleet and ordered to Havana at the request of General Fitzhugh Lee, U. S. Consul General at Havana. I had finished my watch, leaving the deck at 8 o’clock. Many of the men were retiring for the night as I passed through the crew’s sleeping quarters. Then came the explosion. Water came pouring into the port-holes. I groped my way out of my quarters and was moving through the floating furniture of the ward room when I heard Midshipman Bronson (now Captain Amon Bronson) calling out ‘Come this way, men!’ I joined Bronson and several others. Finally we managed to make our way outside the vessel. We swarm around to the poop which was by this time the only part of the vessel above water.
“Scores of men, not otherwise injured by the blast, were trapped inside their quarters when the explosion closed portholes and doors. A part of the deck over the magazine was folded back, sealing a large compartment of the vessel and dooming the men inside. Rescue boats from merchantmen and Spanish war ships in the harbor began to arrive almost immediately and started taking us off. Passengers aboard the merchant vessels were very kind to us. They furnished clothes to the men.”
His wife was listed as next of kin. He has a memory marker in the Naval Academy Cemetery.
Career
As a Lieutenant, Ward was in command of USS Gamble (DD 123) from Sep 10 1937 - Dec 22 1937; the ship was then placed out of commission for nearly two years.
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 1931
October 1931
January 1932
April 1932
LT Jack Richardson '19
LT Irving Wiltsie '21
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23
LTjg Robert Larson '24
LTjg James McDonough '24
LTjg Charles McDonald '24
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25
LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26
LTjg Charles Signer '26
October 1932
January 1933
April 1933
July 1933
October 1933
April 1934
July 1934
October 1934
January 1935
April 1935
October 1935
January 1936
April 1936
January 1937
April 1937
September 1937
July 1938
LT William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Hilan Ebert '26
LT John Bermingham '29
LT Egbert Roth '29
LT Victor Gaulin '30
LTjg Russell Ross '30
LT John Bisson '30
January 1939
LCDR Robert Bedilion '22
LCDR William Hobby, Jr. '23
LT Richard Baron '24
LT Harold Pound '25
LT William Graham, Jr. '25
LT Andrew Harris '25
LT Hilan Ebert '26
LT John Bermingham '29
LT Egbert Roth '29
LT Victor Gaulin '30
LT Russell Ross '30
October 1939
June 1940
November 1940
April 1941
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
