Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1943 Lucky Bag:

HUGH DALE HAMILTON

Ask “Ham” and he’ll tell you, “If you’ve never been to Texas, you haven’t lived,” and he means it. His smiling nature and broad sense of humor marked him as everyone’s friend, making him an ideal Committeeman. Ham was always ready to help anyone with math or skinny, and if a prob could be worked, he’d work it. Stars on his collar proved this. Strangely, he was not a team man; preferring to pass from one sport to another as the seasons passed and the mood struck him. Ham didn’t drag very often until he got back to his beloved Texas, but then—well, just ask anybody around Sherman!

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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

Hugh was one of 197 officers and crew lost when USS Savannah (CL 42) was struck by a German radio-controlled Fritz X glide-bomb on September 11, 1943 while providing gunfire support for the landings at Salerno, Italy.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Hugh graduated from Dorchester High School in 1937. He attended North Texas State Teachers College for two years and was a member of Pi Phi Pi.

In May 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant (j.g.) His father was a mail carrier.

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

Ham was born on 5 June 1918 in Dorchester, Texas. He was appointed from Texas and entered the Academy on 7 June 1939. After graduation, he reported for duty to the cruiser USS SAVANNAH. On 11 September 1943 the SAVANNAH was engaged in combat with enemy aircraft which damaged the ship off Salerno Italy. Ham was killed in that action. He wore the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with fleet clasp, and the European-African-Middle East Area Campaign Medal. He was survived by his father Mr. R. L. Hambleton, who, at Ham’s death lived at 1002 Highland Street, Denton, Texas.

He was survived by his “parents; brother, Robert (1913-1968); and sister, Bobby Ruth Hamilton Crosby (1925, Dorchester, Texas-2016, Richmond, Virginia).”

Hugh has a second memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery.