★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★
1LT Michael Mueller, USMC '84 was lost on May 20, 1987 when the F/A-18B Hornet he was aboard crashed in the mountains in central California. He was a naval flight officer with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125; the crash site wasn't found for over a year.
From the 1984 Lucky Bag:
Mike majored in sleep, minored in Oceanography and managed to do well in both. A prime candidate for a fixture in the Midshipman sample room, Mikey has been the "model mid" in everything he's done. He took max grief for being in D&B plebe year ("Dad-gum guys, I could be Commander someday!"), jumped out of perfectly good airplanes second class summer ("Shucks fellas, there's nothing like it!") and continued to lead as a company commander first class year. He'll be most remembered in FUN-ONE for his drilling expertise ("Column left-Halt"), his eating habits (peanut butter sausage with mayo and catsup on rye, hold the pickles), and his concern for others.
From the June 1988 issue of Shipmate:
Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, attended public schools there, including College High School, and won an appointment to the Naval Academy from Oklahoma. He had attended Bartlesville Wesleyan College for a year before entering the Naval Academy with the Class of 1984. In Bartlesville he played baseball from second grade through college at Wesleyan. He was also a member of the school band, becoming drum major; at the Naval Academy, he was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps.
Graduating in the top fifth of his Class, he accepted a commission in the Marine Corps and attended Basic School at Quantico, Virginia, from which he finished second in a class of 900. He served six months at Headquarters, Marine Corps, and then reported to flight school at Pensacola, earning his wings in March 1987. He was subsequently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 125 for training in the FA-18 Hornet.
Mike was survived by his parents.
To Honor! ⚓
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/MICHAEL_D._MUELLER,_1LT,_USMC