★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★
Lieutenant (j.g.) Marcus Pletcher '91 was lost on September 14, 1994 when the F-14 he was aboard crashed off the coast of Virginia following a mid-air collision. He was the radar intercept officer; the pilot was also lost. Both aircrew were members of Fighter Squadron (VF) 101. The other aircraft returned safely to MCAS Cherry Point.
A native of Chelsea, Michigan, Marcus became such a fixture of a Pensacola, Florida neighborhood during flight school that the residents dedicated a neighborhood garden to his memory and held a separate memorial service for him. He was remembered as a "always willing to pitch in. Anytime you asked him to help, he'd be the first in line and 10 minutes early." Neighborhood children would knock on his door and ask if he could come play. "An all American kid . . . looks like he belongs on a Navy recruiting poster."
"The neatest thing about him was on everyone's birthday, he'd bake them a cake from scratch. He never forgot anyone's birthday."
Marcus' body was not recovered; he has a memory marker at Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his parents and brother.
To Honor! ⚓
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/MARCUS_B._PLETCHER,_LTJG,_USN