Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1943 Lucky Bag:

ALBERT EDWARD OBERG

Al is probably the only man in the academy who was offered an appointment to West Point after he had completed his plebe year here. The Navy’s gain became the Army’s loss. After the shock of his new life had worn off, Al plunged into almost all the sports in rotation. Football, baseball, basketball, and Softball all received his attention but none could keep him. Handball and sailing became his main recreational activities. As a member of the Hop Committee, he rendered yeoman service and wore that sword belt with great aplomb. ATs steady equilibrium was upset only by a letter from N. C. or the defeat of the Dodgers.

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The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Albert was lost when USS Strong (DD 467) was sunk by a Japanese torpedo on July 5, 1943 near Bairoko Harbor, on the northwestern portion of New Georgia, Solomon Islands. He was Signal Officer and Assistant Navigator.

He was last seen on the bow of the ship, helping the crew evacuate to another destroyer.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Albert graduated from Boys High School. He attended Admiral Farragut Academy where he passed his entrance examination for the Naval Academy.

In 1930, Albert lived with his mother Marie and two aunts. His mother and one aunt were widows. His father Albert was an accountant in an insurance agency who died in March, 1926.

From the Class of 1943 anniversary book “25 years later…”:

Al was born in New Rochelle, New York on 8 April, 1921 He was appointed from at-large and entered the Academy on 28 June, 1939. Upon graduation he proceeded to Bath, Maine in connection with fitting out of the destroyer USS STRONG. After commissioning and shake down the STRONG proceeded to the South Pacific and the thick of the war at sea. In the first minutes of 5 July 1943 the STRONG was providing shore bombardment in connection with cruisers and other destroyers on the Northwest coast of New Georgia Island. She broke off to pursue two radar ships which proved to be two Japanese destroyers fleeing the area, Not in time to maneuver, a torpedo was sighted that slammed the STRONG at the foreward fireroom breaking the ship’s back. She was then pounded by shore batteries as she sank. Al was lost with the ship. He wore the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp and the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with one bronze star. He was survived by his mother, Mrs. Marie Lindt Oberg who at Al’s death resided at 406 St. John’s Place, Brooklyn, New York.

From Mike Obey, a “relative of Albert on my mother’s side:”

I was talking to his cousin, Jim Oberg, who lives in Texas and is about 88 this Winter, and Jim informed me that he was told as the Strong was sinking Albert was swimming in the water and when the Strong’s depth charges detonated, he was mortally wounded. He was taken to a nearby island where he expired and was buried, but his body was never recovered after the war. I believe it’s also on record that the Strong was hit by the longest torpedo strike in Naval warfare. But the torpedo wasn’t aimed at the Strong, it just happened to hit it.

His mother was listed as next of kin. Albert is listed at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Photographs

From Sullivan County Record (Jeffersonville, NY) on April 20, 1944 Source