Early Life and Naval Aspirations
Ivan M. Graham was born in Honolulu in 1895 to James T. Graham, a businessman well known in local circles (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 1915, July 7). From an early age, Ivan was recognized for his intelligence and discipline. In 1911, he earned a nomination from Hawaiʻi’s delegate to Congress, Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, for admission to the United States Naval Academy.
Graham successfully passed the rigorous entrance exams and was accepted into Annapolis, where he was the only appointee from Hawaiʻi that year (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 1915, July 7). He performed well as a midshipman and graduated into a world at war.
Commission and Wartime Service
After completing his training at Annapolis, Graham received his commission and rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the United States Navy (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1918, September 23). He was assigned to the USS Huntington, a former armored cruiser converted for use as a convoy escort in the Atlantic.
While aboard the Huntington in September 1918, Graham contracted pneumonia, a frequent and deadly complication of the 1918 influenza pandemic. He died in service that month. (The Hawaiian Gazette, 1918, September 24).
Legacy of Service from Hawaiʻi
Lieutenant Graham died just weeks before the November 1918 Armistice. His name was listed among Hawaiʻi’s military dead, and he was remembered for his distinction as one of the first naval officers from the islands to graduate from Annapolis during wartime.
“He has done his duty with credit and was a bright representative of the territory.”
— (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1918, October 5, p. 31)
Although he did not die in combat, Graham’s passing highlights the less-visible toll of war: the thousands of servicemen lost to disease while fulfilling their duty.
Sources Cited
-
Honolulu Star-Advertiser. (1915, July 7). Ivan M. Graham witness at Annapolis, p. 8.
-
Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (1918, September 23). Ensign Ivan Graham lost at sea; was only Naval Academy appointee from islands, p. 6.
-
The Hawaiian Gazette. (1918, September 24). Hawaiian boy falls victim to pneumonia aboard Navy cruiser, p. 4.
-
Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (1918, October 5). No trace of Ensign Graham found—feared dead, p. 31.
