BROWNE R. CHESTNEY, JR., LTJG, USN

Browne Chestney, Jr. '44

Date of birth: April 25, 1922

Date of death: March 28, 1944

Age: 21

Naval Academy Register

Browne Ruffin Chestney, Jr. was admitted to the Naval Academy from Georgia on June 20, 1940 at age 18 years 2 months.

He resigned on April 6, 1942: "Deficient in studies. Recommended to be dropped. Permitted to resign."

Photographs

From the Marion Military Institute yearbook. Photo obtained by Kathy Franz.

Loss

From Find A Grave:

Georgia Tech Alumni. Lived at 360 Osborne Place in Macon.
"He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live."
Lt. (jg) U.S. Navy Hellcat Pilot. Died while on duty with the Fighting Squadron 50 (VF50 Devil Cats) in the Pacific, attached to the USS Bataan.
Cenotaph is located on the family plot.
Enter main gate, walk down road on immediate right, this stone is past the Masonic monument.
This quotation is from www.bataancvl19.org:
"OUR ELATION AT BEING LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO HAVE ANY PERSONNEL CASUALTIES DIDN'T LAST LONG. AS SOON AS WE DOCKED, THE TWO SQUADRON ACI OFFICERS CAME ABOARD. THEY LOOKED SORT OF FUNNY. LT. "SPIDER" REINHARDT, AIR OPERATIONS OFFICER, ASKED TOM HAMBLETON, "HOW'S EVERYTHING ON THE BEACH, TOM?"
"NOT TOO GOOD A DAY, SPIDER," TOM SAID QUIETLY. "WE LOST CHESTNEY. HE AND FANNING HAD A MID-AIR COLLISON. FANNING BAILED OUT BUT CHESS WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH."
THE SQUADRONS' LUCK HAD HELD FOR A LONG TIME. NO VF OR VT PILOT HAD BEEN KILLED PREVIOUSLY. "FEARLESS" FRASER HAD CRACKED UP AND HAD BEEN BADLY BURNED, BUT HE WAS FLYING AGAIN. NOW "CHESS" WAS GONE -- LIEUT. (JG) BROWNE R. CHESTNEY. WE ALL COULD REMEMBER A HUNDRED THINGS ABOUT HIM -- HIS GEORGIA DRAWL, THE STRANGE FEAR HE HAD OF BEING THE LAST PLANE TO MAKE A LANDING ABOARD, AND HIS CASUAL HANDS-IN-POCKETS POSE."

His service number was O-240361.