Stanton Frederick Kalk

Stanton Frederick Kalk (14 October 1894 – 6 December 1917) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I. He received the Navy's Distinguished Service Medal for his actions after his ship was torpedoed by a German submarine.

Stanton Frederick Kalk
Midshipman Stanton F. Kalk, USN
Born(1894-10-14)14 October 1894
Mobile County, Alabama
Died16 December 1917(1917-12-16) (aged 23)
Buried
Brookwood American Military Cemetery[1]
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1916 - 1917
RankLieutenant
Unit
Battles/wars
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal

Biography

Stanton Kalk was born in Mobile County, Alabama,[1] the son of Frank Kalk and Flora Stanton Kalk. He was appointed to the Naval Academy by Nebraska Senator Norris Brown, and graduated in 1916, fifty-first in a class of 178.[2]

After serving in the battleship USS Florida (BB-30), he was assigned to the destroyer USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) on 10 September 1917. While steaming on patrol duty from Brest, France, to Queenstown, Ireland, Jacob Jones was attacked 6 December by German submarine U-53. Although Kalk, officer-of-the-deck during the attack, "took correct and especially prompt measures in maneuvering to avoid the torpedo," the destroyer could not turn in time to escape. She sank stern first in 8 minutes. Though stunned by the explosion and weakened by his action after the ship went down, Kalk swam from one raft to another in an attempt to equalize weight on them. Displaying "extraordinary heroism," he disregarded his own condition while endeavoring to save the lives of his men. Game to the last, Kalk overtaxed his own strength; he died from exposure and exhaustion.

For his "splendid self-sacrifice" Lt. (j.g.) Kalk was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

Namesakes

Two destroyers, USS Kalk (DD-170) and USS Kalk (DD-611), were named for him.

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References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
  1. UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current about Lt Jg Stanton Frederick Kalk Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  2. "Nebraska Lad Graduates from Naval Academy". Omaha Daily Bee. Omaha, Nebraska. 18 June 1916. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
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