Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1945 Lucky Bag:

Milton J. Turner

Battalion Swimming 3; Battalion Water Polo 3; Choir 4, 3, 1; Reception Committee 3, 1; Glee Club 4, 1

“Milt” claims he’s from “God’s Country,” but for three years we haven’t been able to decide just where that is. We’ve finally made him a native of Washington. With a trail of feminine interests from all points, he still hasn’t an O. A. O. among them. “Milt” picked up a few pointers on the Eastern style of dancing at the tea fights and has been carrying on since the first one he attended. He works hard and plays hard, putting his best into anything he does. His good nature and dependability have made him many friends in the Regiment.

---

The Class of 1945 was graduated in June 1944 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Milton was lost on May 31, 1950 when his aircraft crashed near USS Boxer (CV 21). The ship was between Guam and Pearl Harbor at the time. He was a member of Fighter Squadron (VF) 194.

Other Information

From Princeton (Indiana) Daily Clarion on June 1, 1950:

Former Princeton Girl’s Husband Killed In Crash

Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Graper, 738 East State street, received a telephone call today from their daughter, Kathleen, of Oakland, Cal., who said she had received word that her husband, Lt. Milton J. Turner, had been killed instantly when his plane crashed aboard the aircraft carrier, U. S. S. Boxer. The carrier and flight squadron were returning to the United States from a six-months cruise in the Orient and were scheduled to arrive at their west coast base on June 12.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Milton’s father Milton Sr. was a pharmacist in the naval hospital in Washington, D.C. in 1940. In 1935 the family lived in Beijing, China, and in 1936 Milton Jr and his mom Vesta came back to Seattle on 9/16/1936. Their address then was in Salem, Oregon. In 1930 Milton Jr. and his mom lived with her family in Bremerton, Washington. Milton Jr was born in Oregon. (No wonder the Lucky Bag didn’t know where he was from!)

In January 1940, Milton was nominated first alternate to the Naval Academy by Senator Charles McNary (R-Ore). At the time, Milton was living in Salem. In April, he was in the census living with his father and mother in Washington, D. C.

Unable to find a burial or memorial marker location.

In July 2023 his trunk was available for sale in New York.

Related Articles

John Caskey ‘46 was a member of the same squadron and lost almost exactly two months earlier.

Eugene Captain ‘45, Foster Simonsen ‘45, and Roger Mullins ‘45 were also in 9th Company.