Run To Honor Blog
Sheldon Norris '72 was a "true hulk of a man," according to the Lucky Bag. "Shelly's cheerfulness, sincerely and loyalty are sure to leave an impression as big as the man himself."
On March 27, 1974 he was lost when his TA-4J Skyhawk crashed near Yuma, Arizona while on a training flight. He was posthumously designated a Naval Aviator.
Sheldon was survived by his wife, Suzanne.
http://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/SHELDON_J._NORRIS,_2LT,_USMC
LCDR Edward Degarmo '40 in the Lucky Bag: "When he isn't holding bunk drill, you can find him playing bridge (his favorite indoor and outdoor sport), dragging, reading, working cross-words, or doing a little private jitter-bugging to some hot tune by T. Dorsey. The ability to turn a hopelessly lost debate into apparent victory by resort to a technical point not even remotely connected with the subject is his outstanding characteristic. A typical, smooth-talking son of Ohio, Ed (the walking dictionary) has been a friend to all, always ready to do or try anything. We wish him luck in the Service and hope to be as good shipmates as we have been pals and roommates."
Edward was lost on June 6, 1945 when his airplane was shot down near Okinawa.
He was commanding officer of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 82.
He was awarded the Navy Cross for his "extraordinary heroism" and "inspiring leadership."
He was awarded two Silver Stars for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action".
He was awarded four Distinguished Flying Crosses for "heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight."
He was survived by his wife, Beatrice, and is buried in California.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/EDWARD_E._DEGARMO,_LCDR,_USN
CDR Raymond Vogel, Jr. '36, was shot down near Seoul, Korea, on August 19, 1950. He was commanding officer of Air Group 11, and was awarded the Navy Cross for his outstanding courage, aggressive leadership, and disregard for personal danger.
During World War II, he was operations officer and later executive officer of Fighting Squadron (VF) 11, operating over Guadalcanal in 1943. He scored an aerial victory over a Japanese Zero during this time.
He married into an extraordinary Navy and Naval Academy family, and then his three sons (Bill '62, Fred '65, Tim USMA '65-turned Navy Pilot) continued the tradition.
http://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/RAYMOND_W._VOGEL,_JR.,_CDR,_USN
Louis Hagan '45 was "deficient in studies" and resigned from the Naval Academy in 1942. His service did not end then, however. On February 17, 1945 he was an Ensign in the Naval Reserve and aboard USS LCI(G) 471, providing close-in gunfire support to underwater demolition teams (UDT) who were preparing the beaches of Iwo Jima for the invasion two days later.
At 11:32 that morning, his ship was ordered to retire after "having received two additional hits which killed nine men, wounded six, disabled the bow 40mm gun and started another fire." Two of the wounded later died.
Louis's commanding officer — one of five officers aboard the ship — was awarded the Navy Cross, and the entire LCI(G) group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their heroism that day. (Another commanding officer in the group was awarded the Medal of Honor.)
Louis was from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and was survived by his mother, sister, and brother.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/LOUIS_P._HAGAN,_ENS,_USNR
John "Butch" Franklin '74 was lost at sea November 20, 1979 when his F-4 Phantom Jet crashed during night landing operations USS Independence in the Mediterranean.
"Lt Franklin, born June 5, 1952, is a native Tuscaloosan. He received his elementary education in Tuscaloosa city schools. His junior high and high school years were spent in Jacksonville, Alabama, where he graduated from Jacksonville High School. He was a 1974 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, and a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.
"Lt Franklin was ranked 36th in a class of 923 at the Naval Academy and was sent to the Naval Postgraduate School in California to complete his Masters degree. He served as 6th Company Commander at the Academy and was named to the Dean's and Superintendent's lists each semester. His excellent personal scholarship earned for him the coveted Henry M. Roberts Award, presented to the midshipman with the most promising future in Mathematical Studies. He was named one of ten selected for Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. Franklin served his country with distinction and honor, his pride and devotion were unsurpassed.
"Since graduation, he has been attached to Fighter Squadron Thirty-Three, based at U. S. Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. He is survived by his wife, Lt. Judith Brown Franklin, formerly with the United States Navy Nurse Corps, Virginia Beach, VA; his mother, Mary Nell Franklin, Tuscaloosa; brother Lt Mike Franklin, USN, Leonardtown, MD; sister Rhonda S. Franklin Miller, Birmingham, and grandmother Theo Franklin, Tuscaloosa.
"Lt Franklin resided with his wife Judy, at 1852 Blue Knob Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23464."
"Frank Bernard Quady, United States Naval Academy class of 1938, was born in Minneapolis on April 25, 1916. He was the first of two brothers to graduate from Annapolis. Both would fight in the Pacific theater during World War II. Quady completed flight training in Pensacola and Miami, receiving his wings of gold in April '41.
"In June he married Helen Mlinar at Sacred Heart Church, Coronado. Later he reported to Fighter Squadron Six (assigned to USS Enterprise, which relocated to Pearl Harbor). Quady's Enterprise service, which spanned the Pacific, saw action during the Gilbert/Marshall Islands Raid, Wake Island Raids, the Doolittle Mission and the Battle of Midway; the Enterprise group earned the Presidential Unit Citation.
"While on a rare leave in his home state of Minnesota, the locals celebrated their native son's endeavors. Deflecting the attention, Quady was quoted saying, "The dive bombers deserve the credit, though, for they're the ones that carry the mail."
"Quady served in the Carrier Replacement Squadron (VF11) at Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, where he received an Air Medal for heroics in aerial flight.
"In June of 1943 Quady downed two enemy planes in a single sortie (log book entry: "..a stern run into the leading vee of bombers..."). After the action, he remarked to "Red" Schild and Frank Hynes, "all that and not a mark," for which he received the reply, "take a look at your tail." Upon a glance, he gulped, noticing significant damage to his plane.
"As a lieutenant commander, Quady was assigned to TF58 aboard the USS Bunker Hill (CV17); he served as Assistant Flight Operations Officer. The Bunker Hill carried out the Iwo Jima Assault and Occupation Operation, including the Fifth Fleet raids against Honshu and Nansei Shoto through March 16, and Okinawa Gunto Operation Fifth/Third Fleet raids in support through June 11. He saw a lot action during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where he helped rescue many downed airmen, earning the Bronze Star medal. In fact, Captain G.A. Seitz wrote, "Task Force records will show that the number of rescues reached a new high during the time Frank was a member of the Staff. Many pilots were saved, due to his efforts..." And "His friendliness and high sense of humor made him one of the best loved members of the staff."
"Quady's brother, Emmett, in theater aboard a destroyer, the USS Fanning, wrote home about the hectic pace at which Quady was serving, "...a postcard from Frank...was rather funny...his way of telling me that he knew where I was hanging out and that he couldn't possibly get away to see me on the few occasions he was near. He is moving in fast company."
"Tragically, Frank and 392 of his shipmates were killed by two kamikaze attacks on Friday morning, May 11, 1945. Quady's numerous awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) w/Gold Star, Air Medal (with one Silver, four Gold Stars), Bronze Star, Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal (Fleet), American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (three Bronze Stars), Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with Gold Star, and the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal.
"Quady's beloved wife Helen, and their son Roy, lived in Coronado from 1944 until 1962."
The biography quoted in whole above was authored by Scott and Roy Quady on the occasion of a banner being added to Coronado's "Avenue of the Heroes."
Conrad Grove, Jr. '45 in the Lucky Bag: "To his more intimate friends, "Connie" is known as "Lefty" or "Lacrosse-Stick Grove." Always ready for a party, his exceedingly high spirit more than upheld the morale of the 8th Company. He was a member of the Plebe Lacrosse Team, played a fair game of tennis and possessed much innate but dormant athletic ability. The Detroit Tigers are tops with "Lefty," and it breaks his heart when they wind up in the second division. Happy, carefree, and never in want of friends or companions, he will make a successful officer in his chosen profession."
"Connie" and his classmates were graduated in June 1944; he was lost in March 1945 in an accident involving a hand grenade. He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and in North Carolina.
He was survived by his wife (who later remarried) and his parents.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/CONRAD_S._GROVE,_JR.,_2LT,_USMC
LCDR Emory Coil, USN '12 was originally a member of the class of 1910, but fell two classes due to sickness. A native of Ohio, he became Naval Aviator #96 in 1917 and was one of the earliest lighter-than-air instructors in the Navy.
In 1919 he commanded the airship C-5 during a record flight for non-rigid airships, covering 1,050 nautical miles in 25 hours 50 minutes. He and forty-three other men were killed on August 24, 1921 when the British airship R-38 crashed near Hull, England. The ship was intended for US Navy use as ZR-2.
His wife had died in 1919; they had no children.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/EMORY_W._COIL,_LCDR,_USN
Major David Wright, USAF '57 was killed in action against the North Vietnamese on November 13, 1970 when his plane was shot down during a photoreconnaissance mission. From the 1957 Lucky Bag: "When Dave was through defeating the academics for the afternoon, he could usually be found on his way to the golf course, where he usually defeated par. If love for the game means anything the Naval Academy has produced the successor to Ben Hogan. In addition to his success with the varsity golf team Dave has shown us what conscientious effort can bring in academics and social life. Neither the academic departments, the executive department, nor the "female department" have given him much trouble. Tennis, aviation, and hunting rival golf were his interests. Known on the golf course as "Davy Crockett," Dave will be remembered by everyone for his easy-going manner and personality."
Dave was survived by his wife, Mary Ann; three daughters, Sharon, Susan, and Michelle; his mother; and his sister.
His daughters were present at the Naval Academy for the Alumni Association's Honor Our Fallen Heroes event in 2016.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/DAVID_I._WRIGHT,_MAJ,_USAF
Donald Hall '45, from the Lucky Bag: "After being thwarted in his efforts to become a lawyer, musician, radio technician, and National Guardsman, Don turned to the sea and journeyed the two blocks from his home to the Naval Academy. He brought a sincere desire to learn and a natural ability to box. With these assets he gained a pair of stars and a broken nose. To date, his greatest claim to fame are his drill shoes. Wine, women and song are a strong attraction for "Punchy," and, when you meet him in the Fleet, you'll know him to be the little man stepping ashore in the lead of the first liberty party."
Don was killed in action on May 4, 1945 when USS Morrison (DD 560) was sunk by a kamikaze near Okinawa; 151 of his shipmates were also lost.
Wallace Bruce Mechling '57, from the Lucky Bag: "Since Bruce was a Navy Junior, he decided to keep the Navy in the family and follow his father into the Fleet. While at Navy, he was able to keep well ahead of the academics, and devoted a lot of time to the lacrosse stick. A few years after graduation he hoped to replace the lacrosse stick with the control stick of an airplane. His only worries while at the Academy were about which girl was his "true love" that week. He would go along with any kind of a gag, and had a good time his four years by the Bay."
Bruce became a pilot, and was lost on January 13, 1962 — 58 years ago today — when his A-3 Skywarrior crashed on a mountain in central Luzon, Philippines. He was survived by his parents and is buried in California.
To Honor! ⚓
John Yoho '29 in the Lucky Bag: "AT THE tender age of seventeen, honest John, the rambling derelict, cut loose from his Oregon anchorage, and sailed free and unhampered into the Severn, where he dropped the hooks to linger. Tall, blonde, and bland, and possessing that intangible appeal which has invariably caused the tidal waves of emotion to rise in the hearts of the eternal feminine, his romances have bidden fair to take him above the apprentice class. When the bludgeons of fate have fallen all around us, our cousin has always displayed the most unruffled and oblivious tranquility — undisturbed and unfettered by Executives, Academics, and other paltry matters."
John was commanding officer of Scouting Squadron (VS) 9 when his aircraft crashed near Norfolk, Virginia on January 6, 1943 -- 77 years ago today. His successor as commanding officer, Robert Donaldson '34, was lost the following month, and his younger brother, Jud Yoho '36, was killed in action in July of that year when USS Runner (SS 275) was sunk in the Pacific.
John was survived by his wife, stepson, and parents.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/JOHN_R._YOHO,_CDR,_USN
Ulmont Whitehead ‘40 was a prior enlisted sailor, pride of Hartford, Connecticut, and a Naval Academy football star.
“Years of exacting labor have failed to submerge Whitey into the drudgery of tedious detail. He dreams of the day to be when he will be able to carry out his ideas — ideas that will prove exceedingly beneficial to all those to whom they may be applied. He meets every situation with a determination and whole-heartedness that sees it successfully through to the end, realizing that to completely enjoy one's life, one must live it. Meeting each reverse with more than enough energy to turn it to victory, Whitey will soon be pushing himself to his rightful position of prominence at the top of the heap.”
Ulmont was killed on the morning of December 7th, 1941 when his ship, USS Arizona (BB 39), was destroyed at Pearl Harbor.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/ULMONT_I._WHITEHEAD,_JR.,_ENS,_USN
Dewitt Shumway '32, recipient of the Navy Cross and two Distinguished Flying Crosses for action in WWII, was killed in 1946 by an errant bomb on Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. He was the acting commanding officer of Bombing Squadron (VB) 3 aboard USS Saratoga during the Battle of Midway and later the non-acting commanding officer during raids on the Solomon Islands in August 1942.
He was survived by his wife, Helen, son, David, his mother, and his sister.
To Honor! ⚓
New on VMH is a history of Memorial Hall, from "Shipmate" magazine in 2003. It is factual and fascinating — though it is referenced as the "Naval Academy's Sistine Chapel," the Hall was routinely used for everything from lounging to dance lessons for many years.
Also new is a searing and intense account of what Memorial Hall means to the families, shipmates, and friends of the alumni whose presence gives the Hall its meaning. It was authored by the girlfriend of Robert Bianchi '83; she also knew his brother, Kevin Bianchi '85, and Pete Oswald '84. It reads in part:
Memorial Hall is not simply a place of heroes; the men and women we read about in text books, she embodies more. She silently teaches the future leaders of the Naval Academy from the experiences of her fallen. She defines the fearless determination, the gallantry, character and courage of the officers that graduate from the halls of Bancroft.
She enshrines within her walls the legacy of the everyday officers who three-hundred-sixty-five days a year put their safety, well-being, future, and dreams on the line with no questions asked for our freedom. Her fallen shipmates did not seek to be heroic, they were simply doing what they had been taught at the Academy; to lead, to protect, to “Never Give Up the Ship”. Families, friends and shipmates will forever grieve the officers whose names adorn the chambers within Memorial Hall. They will always hold dear the pride the fallen carried in their hearts serving our country.
Memorial Hall, she cradles our tears, embraces our loved ones memories, honors their valor, carries their courage, instills the Academy’s values on all who pass through her chambers. She is a constant reminder the cost of freedom is immeasurable. Memorial Hall holds the past of the Academy as well as her future not yet realized. She is simply the heart and soul of every Officer that graduates from the United States Naval Academy.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/Memorial_Hall
On Friday, Josh Watson ‘19 "showed exceptional heroism and bravery in the face of evil" when was killed while confronting an armed gunman aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
His brother: "He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled."
★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★
John "Jack" Spiers, '32. From the Lucky Bag: "We've always imagined Welshmen as very small, quick people with impossible names, but Jack is our human paradox. Six long feet of him convince us that crew is not for us. Intractable brown hair and hazel eyes complete the picture.
Jack was born and brought up in Philadelphia. Penn Charter was his stamping ground before the lure of the uniform got him. We will always feel that Jack has gotten a great deal more out of this our vale of tears than most. He believes implicitly in his ability to shape his life after his own ideals, though he is never obtrusive about it.
Athletics appeal to him in their ultimate importance to health. Music has charms to soothe him, but he seldom raves over it. His keenly inquisitive mind, coupled with his inherited conscientiousness, keeps him booming long after we have knocked off for the day.
Somewhere in the service we will meet him again and will be reminded of the good it has done us to know him. Always considerate, interested and active, we know his success is assured."
Stationed at the Naval Air Station at Quonset Point, RI, Lieutenant Commander John R. Spiers was lost in a plane crash off the Atlantic coast on October 11, 1942. He was survived by his wife and a young daughter, Martha, his parents and three sisters, Faith, Marcia, and Phoebe. Mrs. Spiers returned to California, where she raised their daughter.
To Honor! ⚓
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/JOHN_R._SPIERS,_LCDR,_USN
Lucien Borden, in the 1952 Lucky Bag: "L. P. entered Bancroft's halls with an eager look, a brightly polished Eagle Scout ring, and two volumes of high school photographs gripped under his right arm. It is said that Pete's three day routine was spent papering his locker door with pictures of the fair and innocent of fabulous Colorado Springs. The OAO, however, always stood number one in Don Borden's little black book. Since he lived from one leave to the next, our hero paid little heed to the multitude of academics which filled the void in between but he managed to terrorize the Math Department by scoring several near misses on their unattainable 4.0 exam grade. He will have many friends in the Navy."
L.P. was lost when the F2H Banshee jet he was piloting crashed while taking off from Fallon Air Force Base, Nevada, on June 30, 1955. He was survived by his wife, Jeanne; though she remarried, they are buried together in Arlington National Cemetery.
To Honor! ⚓
Today at the Honor Our Fallen Heroes event we remembered 33 alumni killed in action or lost in military operations. These alumni were represented by over 200 family members, shipmates, classmates, and friends. The senior class represented was 1922 (!); the junior was 2008.
Thank you to the Alumni Association for putting on a great event, and thank you to ADM Mullen '68 and VADM Buck '83 for speaking.
Mostly, though, thank you always to our families for your incredible service and sacrifice. To Honor!
Families of the fallen before being they went on the field to be acknowledged by the crowd at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Major James Smee, USMC '70. From the Lucky Bag: "First coming to Annapolis from Tehran, Jim, a defector from an Army family, occasionally called Fort Lupton, Colorado, Fort Monroe, Virginia, or San Francisco, home. After spending Plebe year as an intramural jock, he renounced the dusty fields for the musty corner of Maury Hall that houses the debate team, where he became a member of the first string. As the result of his debating feats, Jim managed to avoid the Naval Academy on weekends, but still managed to remain high in the class. Although his workouts were primarily composed of carrying around two bags of file cards, while leaving the more difficult evidence carrying to his nefarious forensic colleague, the Dwarf, Jim managed to try sailing and squash as well. His military and academic prowess, tied with a truly genuine interest in others, will make him a fine officer."
In the Class of 1970's 40th Reunion Book: "Jim began flight training in April 1971 in Pensacola, after completing The Basic School at Quantico. He received his wings in Kingsville, Texas in October 1972. His first assignment was F-4 squadron VMFA 235 in Kaneohe, Hawaii. He was selected for the Olmsted Scholar Program, class of 1975, and spent two years at the Institut d’Etude Politiques in Grenoble, France. Upon his return, he was deployed for a year to Iwakuni, Japan. After attending Amphibious Warfare School in 1978-9, he spent three years in Beaufort with VMFA 122 and 312, deploying to Iwakuni as the Operations Officer of VMFA 312. In January 1983, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk. In August 1983, he was assigned to MAWTS-1 in Yuma, Arizona. At the time of his death in May 1984, he was serving as the Operations Officer of MAWTS-1.
Jim married Susan Garnett in September, 1970, in Ft. Riley, Kansas. They had two daughters, Melissa Kristine Smee Walker and Sarah “Gayle” Smee Minden. Melissa lives in Nashville with her husband Tim, and has three children: James Lawton, Katherine Alexandra, and Margaret Susan. Gayle lives in Denver with her husband, Vaun, and has one child: Zoe Elizabeth. Susan Smee lives in Burke, Virginia. We miss Jim every day."
Jim's family will be joining many others this weekend as we honor their incredible service and sacrifice at the annual Honor Our Fallen Heroes event.