Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1931 Lucky Bag:

Eugene Smith Lytle. Jr.

Gene

Pep Committee 3, 2, 1 Chairman 1; Reception Committee; Class Gym; Stunt Committee; Assistant Editor Red Fire; 2 P. O.

Gene didn’t like Kansas City in the summer time so, after having looked up the various summer resorts, he decided that the Naval Academy on the Severn would suit him to a “T. " So we greeted him with open arms on June 21 —immediately the fun began. For Gene was a fun-loving boy, and his pranks kept us amused during our hours of rest.

Being a real salt. Gene took to the cruises like a duck to water, and with his level head, sensible ideas and good nature, he showed us how to have a good time on the “Pig-iron Monsters.”

Academically, Gene gave us a few genuine scares Plebe Year, but ever since, he has proven his scholarly abilities whenever he has so desired.

Although not gracing any Varsity Teams, Gene has been consistent in getting in his share of athletics. Football, gym, and lacrosse have kept him busy the year around, and whenever, by chance, he was not at one of these sports, he was probably in the hospital—Bernar McFadden should have seen this man.

Loss

Eugene was lost when his SBD-4 Dauntless crashed near Cockeysville, Maryland, on February 26, 1943. The aircraft was returning to its base at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, prior to flying aboard USS Lexington (CV 10). The other crewman aboard survived.

He was the commanding officer of Scouting Squadron (VS) 16, which was based at Quonset Point.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In June 1942, he was still Lt. Cdr at Jacksonville NAS.

Eugene graduated from Westport high school in 1926. Clay Club; Hi-Y; R. O. T. C. Crack Company, ’24; Band, ’25, ’26. “The closer the miss, the bigger the thrill.” Why They Live: Eugene – to be a V. V. Can We Believe That? Yes, when: Gene Lytle leaves you alone with your girl for one minute.

Eugene was appointed to the Naval Academy by Representative E. C. Ellis.

For Christmas break 1929, Eugene brought classmate S. B. Wright (’31) home to visit his family. In September 1930, Eugene spent time with classmate Edward Railsback (’31) at Philadelphia. At Christmas 1931, Eugene arrived home from the U. S. S. Lexington.

Eugene married Anna Gwyn Dearing on June 11, 1932, in the Episcopal church in Coronado Beach, California.

He earned his wings as naval aviator #4167 in 1934.

Eugene is mentioned twice in The Royal Works - U.S.S. Lexington A Souvenir of the Neptune party Held 20 May, 1936 in the United States Ship Lexington (on the occasion of the ship crossing the equator). He was a LTjg at the time.

He is buried in Missouri.

Photographs

Source

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.