Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1924 Lucky Bag:

RICHARD SWAN BARON

Dick

Choir (4, 3, 2, 1); Track Squad (4, 3); Class Track (2); Numerals (2).

THIS lad came to us from the rock-bound shores of New England, bringing with him all the instincts and traditions that landed with the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620. Who among us has not seen that rush of Puritanical blood to his cheeks when some uncouth person told a shady story? He is said to have a past, a dark and mysterious past; but, judging from his four years with us, we hesitate to put any faith in these foul rumors. At any rate, he has a present. Ask the M. C. on his deck any morning what her handwriting looks like,—tres unique.

Rumor further has it that “Dick” is the one exception to the rule that all men from Massachusetts are disgustingly savvy. At least, he did hit a tree once and since then he has regarded such a thing with horrible misgivings. He classes such a “lynching” with the witchburnings in his own dear Salem. One thing is certain,— he’ll never hit the “tree of life”.

Loss

Richard was lost on March 15, 1942 during the bombing of Cebu City, Philippines. He was the “District Issuing Officer on the Staff of the Commander in Chief, SIXTEENTH Naval District, Cavite Navy Yard, Philippine Islands.”

Other Information

His wife was listed as next of kin; he was also survived by three daughters.

From his granddaughter, Anne Wilson, via email on August 31, 2018:

He had three daughters: Mary Louise Swan Baron (later Wilson) my mother b. 12/12/1928 Richard’s first born by his first wife Lucy Porter Baron, then with his second wife Anne Pryor Baron, his two daughters Gerald Baron (Dixon) born during his service in Shanghai) and Anne Banister Baron (Manville).

He is listed at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Photographs

Richard, taken from a picture of the crew of USS Palos in Shanghai in 1934. He was the executive officer. Photo from an article on <span class='smallcaps'>Palos</span> in the April 1961 issue of _Shipmate_.

Navy Cross

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Richard Swan Baron (NSN: 0-58842), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as District Issuing Officer on the Staff of the Commander in Chief, SIXTEENTH Naval District, Cavite Navy Yard, Philippine Islands, during the bombardment of that station by enemy Japanese forces on 10 December 1941. Lieutenant Commander Baron entered a burning building at considerable risk to his life to recover confidential publications and carry them to safety to prevent their loss or the possibility of their falling into enemy hands. He later was sent to Cebu where he organized and commanded a defense unit. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Navy of the United States.

Service: Navy
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 306 (September 1942)

Namesake

USS Baron (DE 166) was named for Richard; the ship was sponsored by his widow, Anne.

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.