A list of the officers, crew, and guests aboard USS Macon when the ship crashed at sea off Point Sur, south of San Francisco, on February 12, 1935. Of the 76 men aboard Macon, two died in the crash; their names appear in red.
Macon’s commanding officer, Herbert V.Wiley, was one of the three survivors of the USS Akron crash on April 3-4, 1933.
OFFICERS
Lt. Cdr. Herbert V.Wiley (right) assuming command of USS Macon from Cdr. Alger H. Dresel
Lt. Cdr. Herbert V. Wiley, Commanding
Lt. Cdr. Jesse L. Kenworthy
Lt. Cdr. Edwin F. Cochrane
Lt. Cdr. George H. Mills
Lt. Cdr. Donald M. Mackey
Lt. Cdr. Scott E. Peck
Lt. Calvin M. Bolster
Lt. Howard N. Coulter
Lt. Anthony L. Danis
Lt. Harold B. Miller
Lt. (jg) John D. Reppy
Lt. (jg) Frederick N. Kivette
Lt. (jg) George W. Campbell
Lt. (jg) Earle K. Van Swearingen
Lt. (jg) Leroy C. Simpler
Lt. (jg) Gerald D. Huff
Chief Boatswain William A. Buckley,
Chief Machinist Emmett C. Thurman
PASSENGERS/GUESTS
Cdr. Alfred T. Clay, Commanding Officer, NAS Moffett Field
Lt. Clinton S. Rounds
ENLISTED
USS Macon cook William F. Bucher
Charles Ellis Adams (BM2c | Boatswain’s Mate 2d)
Herlie H. Ashcraft (Sea1c | Seaman First Class)
William Alfred Baker (Aviation Machinist Mate)
William J. Bighouse (RM2c | Radioman 2d)
Dave Wesley Bounds (F2c | Fireman 2d)
Theodore C. Brandes (QM1c | Quartermaster 1st)
William F Bucher (SC1c | Ships Cook 1st)
Maximo Cariaso (Matt1c | Mess Attend. 1st)
Ansel Franklin Carroll (Aviation Machinist Mate)
William Henry Clarke (Cox | Coxswain)
Wilmer M. Conover (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Joseph Robert Connolly (Cox | Coxswain)
Theodore Class (SC2c | Ships Cook 2nd)
Fred Mathew Culbert (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Ernest Edwin Dailey (RM1c | Radioman 1st)
Cecil Myron Deforest Avn Mach. Mate
Francis S. Domian (BM2c | Boatswain’s Mate 2d)
Gifford Lavern Dunn (F1c | Fireman 1st)
Florentino Edquiba (Matt1c | Mess Attend. 1st)
Max Felt (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Matthew G Fraas (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Albert Francis (CAerog | Chief Aerographer)
Andrew B. Galatian (ACMM | Avn. Chf. Mach. Mate)
James Nicholas Garner (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Arthur Glowacki (Sea1c | Seaman First Class)
James C. Gilmore (Electrician’s Mate)
William F Germain (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Leo Edward Gentile (Cox | Coxswain)
John Beaty Hall (Sea2c | Seaman Second Class)
Worther M. Hammond (Cox | Coxswain)
William H. Herndon, Jr. (SC1c | Ships Cook 1st)
Bruce H. Herrington (RM1c | Radioman 1st)
Sydney Hooper (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Paschal M. Jackson (BM2c | Boatswain’s Mate 2d)
James C. Jennings (ACMM | Avn. Chf. Mach. Mate)
Earle W Kirkpatrick (BM2c | Boatswain’s Mate 2d)
Emil Klaassen (Aviation Machinist Mate)
William S. Kosar (RM1c | Radioman 1st)
Leonard E. Lehtonen (Aviation Machinist Mate)
John Francis Leonard (Aviation Machinist Mate)
William A. MacDonald (Cox | Coxswain)
Julius Eugene Malak (Aviation Machinist Mate) [USS Shenandoah survivor]
Kenneth H. McArdle (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Charles W Miller (BM2c | Boatswain’s Mate 2d)
Martin Oscar Miller (ACMM | Avn. Chf. Mach. Mate)
Edward Ross Morris (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Vernon Thomas Moss (Pharmacist’s Mate)
Arthur M. Oliver (Cox | Coxswain)
Clyde Charles Padgett (F2c | Fireman 2d)
Benjamin George Perks (QM1c | Quartermaster 1st)
Harry R. K. Probst (ACMM | Avn. Chf. Mach. Mate)
Paul Fitz Randolph (CRM | Chief Radioman)
Herbert Reginald Rowe (Sea1c | Seaman First Class)
David Reese Safford (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Leonard E. Schellberg (BM1c | Boatswain’s Mate 1st)
Emery E. Sherman (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Tom Morrell Sleek (F2c | Fireman 2d)
Charles Salem Solar (ACMM | Avn. Chf. Mach. Mate) [USS Shenandoah survivor]
Joseph Edward Steele (AMM3c | Avn. Mach. Mate 3d)
Hobart B. Sullivan (RM2c | Radioman 2d)
Warren A. Thompson (Sea2c | Seaman Second Class)
James Farley Todd (Aviation Machinist Mate)
Maurice Irving Walters (RM2c | Radioman 2nd)
Looking for relatives of Charles E. Adams; you can email or call me: [email protected]; 330-571-7727
BMC W.A.Buckley survivor specialist survived USN Macon crash and line handlercrew LZ129 the Hindenburg Disaster
BMC W. A. Buckley USN Macon survivor would be LZ-129 ground line handling crew at the Hindenburg Disaster 1937 survivor. He had Go Navy attitude.
This Blog has incorrect information. The Macon went down off the Big Sur Coast, that’s way SOUTH of San Francisco. Pleas correct this.
My grandfather was on the governmental commission that investigated the crash (A. V. de Forest). He was the metallurgical expert.
Do you know of any link beween A V de Forest and Harold Gould Henderson? There is a copy of Henderson’s 1934 anthology of Japanese haiku translations inscribed ‘to A V de F’.
My grandfather was David Reese Safford (Doc) he was also at Pearl Harbor his ship was sent out on maneuvers before it was bombed they crossed the international date line 5 times he was also stationed in Lakehurst and on the ground crew for the Hindenburg that fateful day
My husband’s grandfather was Ted Class. He was aboard and survived the crash. He had the official life preserver with all surviving crew signatures. Also had his log book with notation of crashed off Point Sur.
My family is related to Herbert Wiley. He survived both the Akron and Macon disasters. My family always credited his prowess as a swimmer. Perhaps, or, he just had the luck. Good information here. Thanks!
I am research the USS Macon Officers and Crew,looking for an Oregon connection. If anyone has any information on any of the officers or crew that have an Oregon Experience, I would like to hear from you. Family, relatives, schools, work, military service.
My name is Richard Gaarenstroom, Oregon Military Research Institute, [email protected]
Hi Richard. Just poking around net about my Grandfather William Alfred Baker. He was on the Macon when it went down and swam with logs in his jacket. He went on to achieve Lieutenant Commander after starting enlisted. He worked at Lakehurst Navy Station all his life after he retired. He was the only one who knew the weather machines particulars. He probably helped develop them. He lived In Lakewood NJ until he died. I’m not sure if it was Oregon but he was an adviser on a blimp with helicopters attached. Probably in the 90s. He was one smart guy. Take care and God bless you and your family Sincerely [email protected]
Was anyone in the crew a survivor of J-3:s crash in 1933. Im unable to figure out their names.