Evening star., 1935-08-29
THREE IN MACON
CRASH LAUDED
Two Officers and Radio Man
Cited in Letters by Sec
retarY Swanson.

Letters commencing three men who
served on the airship Macon, which
crashed of the California coast last
February IL, were forwarded yesterday
by Secretary Of the Navy Swanson.
Those honored were:
Lieut.. Comdr. Herbert v. Wiley,
commanding officer; Lieut.. John D.
Reppy, keel officer, and Ernest Edwin
Daley, radio man, first class. The
latter was killed in the accident, and
the letter was sent to his widow. Mrs.
Z. z. Daley, Marcheta Apartments,
l12l New Hampshire avenue.
Wiley Is Commended.
In his letter to Lieut.. Comdr. Wiley,
who now is serving aboard the Pensa-
cola, Swanson said be showed the
greatest energy in raising the efficiency
of personnel and promoting the safety
and operating effectiveness OF the
vessel"
You adopted measures that great
ly improved the standards OF morale
of your officers and men, and took
steps to provide complete safety equip
ment for the vessel and to train person.
mel in its use," wroie the cabinet off,
Ger. AT the time of the loss OF the
Macon you took immediate measures
with view to saving your vessel and
crew. These measures were so effective
that but two men out of total OF 03
were lost, this being the lowest per-
centage of loss ever known to have
occurred in the case of a similar
vessel
Sought to Shift Load.
To Lieut.. Reppy, Swanson wrote:
1T appears that you were the keel
officer during the emergency. You
assembled the the airplane hangar
crew and endeavored to drop airplanes
from the ship, working when the ship
was inclined up to 25 degrees in a pre-
carious position with the hangar doors
open below you. You went in the after
part of the ship, which was known to
be damaged and reported 'crumollng'
TO try to shift the main controls OF the
emergency steering station. You again
came forward and tried to launch air
planes until ordered to abandon ship"
Lieut.. Reppy is now stationed at the
Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, N. j.
Sent Out S OS.
Concerning Mrs. Dailey's husband.
Secretary Swanson wrote:
1T appears that he was the opera
tor in the radio room during the
emergency. When directed to SEND
out S o S he did so Immediately and
received receipts for same from COM
mander in chief of the United States
fleet. He followed this with signals
for determination of radio bearings
for land stations and ships OF the
feet, with the ship inclined at large
angle he had to hold the transmitters
on the table. Later he inquired If
the ship was all right and was told
to send off stand by, we have bad
casualty He sent this and obtained
receipt. He then inquired the posi-
ton and sent it out. He also sent
further signals for determination OF
radio bearings. He remained at this
station until ordered to abandon it,
carrying out his work in an efficient
manner, with personal initiative, per-
feet calmness and efficiency, his &C
ton no doubt being effective in the
prompt rescue of the crew and the
small casualty list. Unfortunately, he
was one of the two missing members
Of the crew."
Such conduct is in keeping with
Aha hact ir1terests of the NAVY gprV.
ice," Swanson concludes.
The other man lost in the Macon
disaster was Filipino mess attendant.