ANDREW J. FROSCH, LT, USN

★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★

Andrew Frosch '39 in the Lucky Bag:

From his nonchalant, composed expression, and his easy manner of walk, we know that worry never gets the upper hand on Andy. A stranger would term him quiet, but those who know him can certify that Andy can be the life of the party. He never laughs at his own words or wit, but a victory of repartee is always marked by his own personal smirk in conclusion. Gump's capacity for the esthetic is stimulated through his ability to sketch a Bull prof during a lecture. Spare moments at the gym keep him physically fit for the bout with academics. His agreeable nature will keep him clear of trouble, and his persistency will put him in the finish with the best.

A native of Philadelphia, he initially served aboard USS Philip (DD 76), a WWI-era destroyer on neutrality patrol around Florida. He reported to USS Monssen (DD 436) in 1940; that ship was commissioned in March 1941. Sometime afterwards he became the ship's Engineering Officer.

Monssen transferred to the Pacific in March 1942, and was part of Task Force 16, centered on USS Hornet, and which staged the Doolittle Raid in mid April. Monssen (and Hornet) missed the Battle of the Coral Sea, but was in the thick of the Battle of Midway in June. In August Monssen provided fire support to the 2nd Marines on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. She remained in the immediate area through the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, then escorted the damaged carrier Saratoga to the Tonga Islands.

Monssen returned to Guadalcanal in mid September. The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was joined at 0150 on November 13. Roughly 30 minutes later Monssen was spotlighted and then hit by almost 40 shells, including three from battleships. Reduced to a burning hulk, the ship was abandoned and sank that afternoon.

Andrew was one of nine officers and 136 enlisted men killed in the action. Four of the other officers lost were Naval Academy alumni.

He was survived by his parents and at least one sibling, a brother.

To Honor! ⚓

https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/ANDREW_J._FROSCH,_LT,_USN

LTjg Francis Weiler '39 died of his wounds on March 26, 1942 in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. He was a member of the fire control party on USS Houston (CA 30) when that ship was sunk on March 1, 1942.

A native of Philadelphia, the Lucky Bag said: "With the Quaker City as a background, and the addition of a brilliant personality, Boo-Boo soon made for himself a host of friends at the Academy. A well-groomed appearance, and the ability to say the right thing at the right time have been the envy and despair of us all. Hailing from a soccer-famous family, he did not take long to prove his mettle with the Plebe squad. In his academic and social pursuits, he has been a shining example of the Teddy Roosevelt "Work hard—play hard" maxim. The result has been that Boo-Boo soon attained the elusive titles of "smoothie" and "savoir.""

Following his death, Francis' class ring took an almost-unbelievable path to his parents. He gave it to a Dutch nurse, who gave it to a doctor, who gave it to a Japanese officer. In early November 1942 a classmate on Guadalcanal was handed the ring; it had been taken off a dead Japanese soldier. This classmate gave it to a fellow officer, who gave it to a Private when that second officer was posted as a forward artillery observer. (The observer was KIA shortly afterwards.) The Private was then mortally wounded on November 23, 1942; he asked his best friend to return his personal effects to his family. Included was Francis' ring. On March 1, 1943, a year after Houston's destruction, the Private's father wrote to Francis' family.

http://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/FRANCIS_B._WEILER,_LTJG,_USN

EARLE F. CRAIG, LCDR, USN

Earle Craig '39 was, according to the Lucky Bag, "A regular fellow from the wilds of New Jersey, Buster is ready for anything and everything, from dragging blind to lending a poor unfortunate a little cash. Can be found almost any afternoon in the gym, engaged in a fast game of handball or basketball. His favorite pastime is, however, singing popular songs in the shower, very much off key and in words of his own composition."

Earle was lost on October 12, 1944 when his TBM-1C Avenger torpedo bomber was shot down turing the Formosa Air Battle. He was 28 years old, a Lieutenant Commander, and commanding officer of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 44, embarked in USS Langley (CVL 27).

He was survived by his parents.

http://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/EARLE_F._CRAIG,_LCDR,_USN