Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1953 Lucky Bag:

MICHAEL JOHN DI NOLA

The axiom, “Good things come in small packages,” holds true in this case. Few people had the twinkling eye, the unquenchable love of life, the consistent high spirits that made Dinty so popular among his classmates. Boxing was a science to this fellow, and he enjoyed basketball, softball, card games, classical music, and a really tough problem in any academic subject. He took a lot of good natural kidding about his Italian ancestry of which he is so fiercely proud. The future should be his pigeon, whether CEC or Naval Aviation. With his energy and good nature, he’ll make the most of a fine career.

Loss

Michael was lost on April 10, 1963 when USS Thresher (SSN 593) sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In 1947 at Brooklyn Technical High School, his yearbook’s record included: Architectural Course, Intra Basketball, Track Team; Building Construction Squad; Cert.-F. Dr., Math; Math Honor Roll; Honor Roll.

From USS Thresher Memorial:


Michael John DiNola was born on October 2, 1929, in New York, N.Y., son of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas A. DiNola. As a youth, he attended Saint Columbia Grammar School in Manhattan, and maintaining excellent grades, was awarded the Mathematics Medal, upon graduating in 1943. He also was graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1947.

After high school, he attended evening classes at New York University, where he studied accounting. During this period, he became affiliated with the Naval Reserve submarine program at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Michael was a quartermaster seaman when he competed in the examination that won him an appointment to the Naval Academy.

He entered the Academy in June 1949, and was graduated with the class of 1953. His first sea duty was in the attack cargo ship U.S.S. Capricornus (AKA 57). In June 1954, he entered the submarine school for instruction, and in December 1954, he was assigned to the submarine U.S.S. Tiru (SS 416). Michael qualified in submarines in February 1956, aboard the Tiru. In September 1957, he was transferred to the U.S.S. Sterlet (SS 392), and served in that command until May 1959, when he was selected to attend the Nuclear Power School at New London. This was followed by more schooling in nuclear power, when, in December 1959, Michael attended the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit at Schenectady, N.Y. There, he qualified as an operator in the S3G land-based prototype submarine nuclear propulsion plant. In February 1961, Michael was assigned for duty to the U.S.S. Thresher (SSN 593). Michael had earned the National Defense Service Medal during his naval service.

He was married to the former Edna Zimmerman of Webster, Mass., who now resides with their five children in Rye, N.H. The children are, Michael, Mark, Debra, Matthew and Donna. He also leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas A. DiNola of New York.

Photographs

Source

Related Articles

Philip Allen ‘45, John Billings ‘50, John Harvey ‘50, Robert Krag ‘50, Robert Biederman ‘54, Merrill Collier ‘56, John Wiley ‘61, Guy Parsons, Jr. ‘59, James Henry, Jr. ‘60, Ronald Babcock ‘60, and John Grafton ‘61 were also lost when USS Thresher (SSN 563) sank with all hands on April 10, 1963.