Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-11-20
Naval History
Recalls early
Days and Deeds
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

r7OHN RODGERS and Lexington are
/ YW names to conjure with in these latter
| HM DAYS of the United States navy. Com
III mander John Rodgers is the hero OF
lAWWw the latest epic of the sea, the air and
NJ sea cruise of the PN-9, No. 1, who has
told the Presidents air board what Is
wrong with the navy and has been made assistant
chief of the navy's bureau of aeronautics under
Rear Admiral William A. Moffett. The Lexington
Is the new airplane-carrer just launched, is the
last word in naval construction and marks the
acceptance of the airpane factor in the
future development of the first line of defense"
Both names-John Rodgers and Lexington
have an added significance in that they recall a
vast amount of naval history that is of great
interest to all good Americans
"Since the days of John Paul JONES'" says the
New Haven Journal Courier, there has always
been John Rodgers in the navy" The New
Haven editor is enthusiastic than we'll
informed since the first John Rodgers in the navy
was not born until 1771. But it is a fact that
since the War of 1912 there have been so many
Rodgerses in the navy that 1t would require
Philadelphia lawyer to keep track Of them and
of their relationship.
The muttudnous Rodgerses are all descended
from Commodore John Rodgers and his brother
Commodore George Washington Rodgers-who
didn't rise higher because there wasn't any higher
rank in the navy in their day. But the second
John Rodgers was admiral and since 1900
no less than five active rear admiras have been
of the Rodgers family. How many lesser Rodgerses
there are in the navy today nobody seems to know,
but they are many.
Commander John Rodgers of this story Is the
fourth of his name His father, third of the name
is livlng-and is rear admiral.
The Lexington is also the fourth of her name.
The first fought in the Revolution; the second in
the Mexican War; the third in the Civil War The
fourth Lexington was begun in 1917 as a battle
ship. Under the treaty for the limitation of naval
armament she converted to an airplane-
carrier.
Commander John Rodgers recent exploit was
probably as thrilling an adventure any one of
his tribe ever had. His airplane left San Fran
cisco on nonstop flight of 2,100 miles to Hon
ouu. Various naval vessels were stationed on the
course 200 miles apart. Exhaustion of gasoline
forced down Rodgers and his four companions
after about 1900 miles had been flown. They
missed the next to the last station-ship They put
the plane under a rigged-up sail and sailed and
drifted 450 miles due west This took nine days,
during which the five aviator-sailors suffered
hunger and thirst During those nine days all the
resources of the navy were put forth Gin the
search Finally a submarine found them. And
when found they were within fifteen miles of
Kauai. cheerful and courageous under sail and
going strong In a few hours they would have
made landing unaded.
The photograph shows Commander Rodgers
indicated by arrow on board ship, after their
rescue His companions are Lieut. Byron J.
Cornell of Pittsburgh, assistant pilot; Skies N
Pope of Jackson, Tenn. aviation pilot William H.
Bowlin of Richmond, Ind. aviation chief machln
lists mate and Otis G. Stantz of Terre Haute
chief radio operator.
There wasn't John Rodgers In the Colonial
navy of the Revolution. Probably that was because
the Colonies had no navy when the Revolution
began and the first American John Rodgers chose
tonight on land as a colonel of militia
John Rodgers Q771-1S3S), the militia colones
son. was the one to start The Rodgers tradition
in the navy. He born al Havre de Grace. AT
fourteen he ran away to Baltimore and tried to
30 to sen as cabin boy. His father caught him.
indentured him to responsible merchant captain
md made him promise never TO touch, liquor-a
,romise which was kept Ia that age of hard
thinking. John merchant captain at eighteen