CHRIS L. KATSETOS, LT, USN
Chris Katsetos '68
Lucky Bag
From the 1968 Lucky Bag:
CHRIS LOUIS KATSETOS
Providence, Rhode Island
Chris, "the most famous Greek since Zorba," came to USNA from Providence, Rhode Island after three years at the University of Rhode Island. There he was the notorious Social Chairman of The Thete Chi Fraternity and in his spare time earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. As a seasoned ROTC, (Army that is), Chris soon became the most militant Plebe in the Brigade. With his vast educational background, 'Greek' had no trouble with academics and will be the first Mid to graduate with a Master's Degree. To the Class of '70, Chris was affectionately known as the "Plebe Summer BOOW with the mimeographed Forms No. 2". First Class cruise found Chris enjoying many months at sea with the Greek Navy. Chris sailed all four years at Navy and was a big favorite with the coaches. And we will always remember Chris as the nut behind the wheel during the great blizzard of '66. Chris will have a highly successful military career which will know no bounds.
Chris was also a member of the 32nd Company staff (3rd set) and the 6th Battalion staff (1st set).
CHRIS LOUIS KATSETOS
Providence, Rhode Island
Chris, "the most famous Greek since Zorba," came to USNA from Providence, Rhode Island after three years at the University of Rhode Island. There he was the notorious Social Chairman of The Thete Chi Fraternity and in his spare time earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. As a seasoned ROTC, (Army that is), Chris soon became the most militant Plebe in the Brigade. With his vast educational background, 'Greek' had no trouble with academics and will be the first Mid to graduate with a Master's Degree. To the Class of '70, Chris was affectionately known as the "Plebe Summer BOOW with the mimeographed Forms No. 2". First Class cruise found Chris enjoying many months at sea with the Greek Navy. Chris sailed all four years at Navy and was a big favorite with the coaches. And we will always remember Chris as the nut behind the wheel during the great blizzard of '66. Chris will have a highly successful military career which will know no bounds.
Chris was also a member of the 32nd Company staff (3rd set) and the 6th Battalion staff (1st set).
Loss
Chris was aboard an Air Force C-141 transport aircraft that crashed on approach to Torrejon Air Force Base, Madrid, Spain, on August 28, 1973. Twenty three others were also lost.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
He was an usher at Ensign Kevin John Reardon’s marriage in February 1969 along with Ensign N. Clark Williams, best man, Ensigns David Samuelson, James Dare, Gary Jensen, and John Stocke, and midshipman Robert Boynton.
From the December 1973 issue of Shipmate:
Lt. Chris Louis Katsetos, USN, died in an airplane accident on 28 August in Hueva, Spain. Services were held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Cranston, R.I., with burial in the North Burial Ground.
Born in Providence, R.I., Lt. Katsetos graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968. His Naval Academy degree was his third college degree, having a bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island and a Master's Degree from George Washington University. At Annapolis he was on the Superintendent's list for four years. He was also fluent in Greek and Russian. Lt. Katsetos was stationed in the Pacific most of his Navy career.
He was a member of the Board of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Providence and a member of the Sophocles Chapter of AHEPA. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society and Theta Chi Fraternity at the University of Rhode Island. He was an altar boy, and an Eagle and Sea Scout.
He is survived by his mother, Mrs. L. Katsetos, of Edgewood, RI.
Photographs
From The Evening Sun on June 6, 1968
Career
During Navy Week in October 1967 during his 1st Class year and as the Sixth Battalion Commander of the Academy, Chris addressed the Annapolis Kiwanis Club. Chris also took part in the previous year’s Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference and participated in lightweight football as well as varsity sailing.
From the Newport Daily News, Jun 5, 1968:
Midshipman Chris L. Katsetos of Providence, who already holds two college degrees, receives his third today at the U.S. Naval Academy.
“I wanted to be a naval officer and I figured I might as well go “first class,’” the 24 year old Providence native explained.
He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rhode Island and a master's degree in personnel administration from George Washington University.
Though he had a dual schedule studying for his master's at George Washington during the past two years while pursuing his naval academy duties his work at the academy did not suffer. He was on the dean’s list and the superintendent’s list all four years. After graduation and commissioning, Katsetos will have a six-month tour of duty at an experimental diving school in Washington, D.C., and afterward will become a submarine officer.
Chris was interviewed a few years later about habitat research he was conducting. From the North Adams Transcript on Oct 20, 1971:
Under the supervision of Navy Lt. Chris Katsetos, a URI doctoral student in engineering, about $50,000 in labor and materials was devoted to transform the hulk into a tool for research ranging from diver training to marine paint corrosion studies, from pollution monitoring to evaluating life support systems.
The habitat is 11 feet long and seven feet in diameter and can hold two men comfortably, Lt. Katsetos said.
"The magic of dropping it to 33 feet," he said, "is that a diver can come up at any time from the depth without bends and without the use of a decompression chamber."
He said equal pressure within and without the habitat allows the hatch at the bottom to remain open at all times and constantly dry, just as an empty glass placed upside down in water stays empty.
Tentative plans already exist for divers to spend several days at a time living in the structure to test various lifesupport systems, Lt. Katsetos said.
"If one intends to accomplish anything worthy of note, he would have to stay there for a length of time to conduct research and work" in the environment," he added.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
