LTJG RICHARD G. STERN, JR., USN

Class 1942

Born June 14, 1921

Died February 16, 1943

Age 21

Hometown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1942 Lucky Bag:

RICHARD GANS STERN, JR.

Dick, Sterno

Battalion Football; Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, NA; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Reception Committee 3, 2, 1; Cheerleader 2, 1; 2 Stripes.

“Hey, Mister, where are you from? Philadelphia? Do you know——?” Philly is his home town, and if you talk to him a while you will want to make it yours. He likes variety in everything except hops, and Saturday night will always find him there. He never puts down a good book, and there are few people more interested in current events.

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

Richard was lost when USS Amberjack (SS 219) was sunk by a patrol craft on February 16, 1943 near Rabaul.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Richard traveled on USS Henderson from Pearl Harbor on April 22, 1942, to San Francisco.

His mother Isabelle M. (Welsh) Stern was born in 1891-1892 New Jersey. She married Richard’s father in 1917. His father was a merchandise broker who went to Europe six months after Richard was born.

Richard’s parents divorced, and his father remarried in 1924. In 1930, he was an automotive salesman in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

Richard lived with his mother at the Bellrich apartments at 15th Street and Spruce.

His mother, Isabella, was listed as next of kin.

Richard is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Photographs

From the Lucky Bag

Class of 1942

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

← Blaine Miltner John Benton →