LTJG DONALD H. SPANGLER, USN

Class 1942

Born May 29, 1918

Died November 13, 1942

Age 24

Hometown Albion, Indiana

Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1942 Lucky Bag:

DONALD HAYS SPANGLER

Don, Red, Spang

Battalion Tennis; 1 Stripe.

Don long ago secured a hold on life that has since kept it well in hand. He has never worried about what might happen; he has it all figured out. Four years ago he picked his career and his girl. Now there’s nothing in do but wait… the battle is two-thirds won. One stubborn enough not to play traitor to his red hair, and one never unprepared, Don is a lad who will do his own driving in life—with no wrong turns.

The Class of 1942 graduated on December 19, 1941, less than two weeks after the United States entered World War II. The class had previously been scheduled to graduate in February 1942.

Loss

Donald was lost when USS Atlanta (CL 51) was destroyed on November 13, 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The ship was scuttled following damage from Japanese torpedoes and gunfire from USS San Francisco (CA 38).

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Donald graduated from Albion high school. His father was an attorney, and his brother Robert was in the U. S. Merchant Marine.

He has a memory marker in Indiana.

Note: It’s unclear why Donald’s name is out of chronological order with his classmates in Memorial Hall.

Photographs

From the Lucky Bag

Namesake

USS Spangler (DE 696) was named for Donald; the ship was sponsored by his mother, Mrs. Myrtle Spangler.

Class of 1942

Donald is one of 81 members of the Class of 1942 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

← Dale Knaggs Raymond Krepps, Jr. →