Career
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, at age 22 Menges enlisted in the Naval Reserve as seaman second class at Robertson, Missouri on 3 July 1939. He was appointed naval aviator on 24 July 1940, and assigned to Squadron 6 on United States Ship Enterprise (CV-6) 28 November 1940. In 1943, the destroyer escort United States Ship Menges (Delaware-320) was named in his honor.