25 July 1917 : Lt. Arnold Marcus, US Navy

Arnold Marcus was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on 26 June 1892.

 Location of Atlantic City on the north east seaboard of the USA (cc) OpenStreetMap

US Naval Academy, Annapolis: Pres. Theodore Roosevelt at Commencement exercises 1902

Arnold attended the U.S. Naval Academy between 1909 and 1913 and was commissioned in the rank of Ensign upon graduation. He subsequently served in the armoured cruiser USS Pittsburgh in the Pacific Fleet.

Pittsburgh (Armored Cruiser No. 4) at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, circa 1917-1918. Courtesy of Lieutenant Commander Ellis M. Zacharias, USN, 1931. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph, NH 50062.

Beginning in 1914, with the Asiatic Fleet in the gunboats Pampanga and Helena and the monitor Monadnock. The latter was tender to submarines stationed in the Philippines.

In April 1917, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Marcus became Commanding Officer of the submarine A-7.

On 24 July of that year, while on patrol in Manila Bay, A-7 suffered an internal gasoline explosion and fire that fatally injured several of her crew. Despite his own injuries, Marcus attempted to beach the damaged submarine and refused medical care until his men had been treated.

He died the following day at the nearby Canacao Naval Hospital.

Coloured postcard of five Clemson class destroyer alongside their tender about 1930 . The vessels are as follows: USS Chase (DD-323), USS Mullany (DD-235), USS Selfridge (DD-320), USS Mervine (DD-322) and USS Marcus (DD-321) alongside their unidentified tender.

The destroyer Marcus (DD-321), 1921-1935, was named in honour of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Marcus.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Arnold Marcus, US Navy

25 July 1917

Source, courtesy: US Naval Historical Centre, US Naval History, Naval Station at Stangley Point and creation of Canacoa Naval Hospital.