Evening star., 1939-11-05

something like 20 years this charmi
in her dark hair, has been assemb
which the Navy Department bases
the names of new destroyers, air.
craft tenders and other craft, and
selects their sponsors.
In our Navy submarines are named
after fish, battleships after the vari-
Gus States and cruisers for cities,
and destroyers, submarine tenders
and seaplane tenders are named for
former Secretaries Of the Navy, for
great inventors, for officers Of the
Navy and Marine Corps and for
Senators and Representatives who
have conspicuously aided the Navy.
For generations strict Navy ira
dition has been to pick as sponsor
the nearest relative (girl or wOman)
of the men honored in the naming of
new vessels. Thorough study of the
family tree of these people is Mrs.
Casbarian's work. She devises a
complete genealogical chart and sub
mits this to Edward Henkel, chief
clerk of the Navy Bureau of Naviga-
ton. The chart is then approved by
Rear Admiral Chester w. Nimitz,
chief Of the bureau, who turns it over
to Charles Edison, Acting Secretary
of the Navy since the death of Sec
retary Swanson. Finally, Mr.. Edison,
son of the famous inventor, trans
mits the name to President Roose-
velt.
In her fascinating if exacting work
Mrs. Casbarian unearths informa-
ton of great historical and human
interest value. There are now, she
points out, "a names for battleships
built or building. Those under con-
struction are the Massachusetts,, In
diana, Alabama, South Dakota, Iowa,
New Jersey, North Carolina and
Washington. incidentally, Mas
sachusetts is the only one of the
New England States with battle
ship named after it.
Privateer Honors.
The destroyer Tucker was named
after Commodore Samuel Tucker of
Marblehead, Mass, who died in
1888. He commanded four privateers
in the Revolutionary War, was cap
tured in the privateer Thorn, but
made his escape in an open boat.
The destroyer named after this fa-
nous son of the Bay State was
launched February 26, 1896. The
sponsor Of the vessel was Mrs. Leon
ard Thorner of 81 Highland ter
race, Marblehead, Mass.
The destroyer O'Brien was named
after no less than five members OF
the same family. Capt. jeremiah
OBrien and his four brothers. No
loyal New Englander in possession
of facts will deny that these men
deserved the honor. The five O'Brien
brothers were residents of Machias,
Me-, when the battle of Lexington
was fought. When the news reached
Machias the patriotic citizens erected
a liberty pole. A British sloop OF
war, the Margaretta, arrived in
Machias harbor under command of
1t. Moore, and the latter declared
that unless the pole was cut down
he would destroy the town. During
the parley that followed lumber
sloop left Machias and lazily drifted
toward the sea as If to pass near the
warship. The sloop, apparently bad
ly handled, fouled the warship and
instantly scores of Yankees boarded
the foreign craft armed with pitch
forks, axes and muskets.
A battle followed in which the
Colonists were victorious after losing
men and killing 10 of the enemy
including 1t. Moore. This was the
first naval engagement of the Revo-
luton. The lumber sloop was under
the command of jeremiah O'Brien
and four of his brothers were In the
crew. Joseph OBrien, the youngest
brother, was only 16 years old, and
his request to join the party was re-
fused. He smuggled himself aboard
the craft, and during the fight
proved himself to be very much of q
man. It seemed altogether fitting
that 1t. Moore's sword was given tt
Joseph O'Brien, the baby of the
crew.
Enlisted Heroes.
Few people are aware that de.
stroyers are sometimes named fol
enlisted men. The total to date i!
is, honoring Navy and Marine Corps
heroes. The. Ingram was named ir
memory of Osmond Ingram, gun
ner's mate (drst class, U. S. N. He
was killed when the destroyer Cassir
was torpedoed in European waters
october is, 1917. Ingram, who saw
the torpedo coming from German
submarine toward the stern of tn.
Cassin, realized that if the torpedo
struck that part of the vessel, wher'
certain high explosives were placed
the ship would be blown up. In
stead of saving himself, Ingram de-
uberately threw the explosives over
board before the torpedo struck, ant
while doing this was blown over
board. His body was not recovered
Literally speaking, this valiant en-
listed man sacrificed his life to savs
his ship and his shipmates.