USNA 23rd Company

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall


The company is the most important unit in the Brigade of Midshipmen. Companies eat, sleep, study, drill, and compete together. Comprised of roughly 30-35 midshipmen from each of all four classes, they are led by 1/c Midshipmen. There are currently 30 companies in the Brigade, though this number has ranged from 8 in the late 1920s to 36 from the late 1940s to the late 1990s.

Some classes are in the same company for all four years; there is also "shotgunning" (all midshipmen in a class, usually following plebe year, are moved randomly to a different company) and "rifling" (again usually following plebe year, an entire group would move from one company to another). Even though many alumni were a part of more than one company during their four years at the Naval Academy, the list below is reflective of the company from which they graduated.


1948 Rodgers LB.jpg
Ralph Rodgers
Class of 1948

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Paoli, Pennsylvania

December 7, 1950 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1948 Jeffries LB.jpg
George Jeffries, Jr.
Class of 1948

Lieutenant, US Navy

Frostburg, Maryland

February 19, 1954 (28 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1948 Moore LB.jpg
Howard Moore
Class of 1948

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Monticello, Illinois

June 7, 1960 (35 years old)

Operational loss, Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 4, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1949 Clinite LB.jpg
Richard Clinite
Class of 1949

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Kirkwood, Missouri

May 13, 1953 (26 years old)

KIA, Korea, Fighter Squadron (VF) 153, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company



1952 Swanson LB.jpg
Ronald Swanson
Class of 1952

Ensign, US Navy

Lake Bronson, Minnesota

March 30, 1953 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1952 Troppman LB.jpg
Charles Troppman
Class of 1952

1st Lieutenant, US Air Force

Wenatchee, Washington

March 9, 1955 (25 years old)

Operational loss, 84th Air Rescue Squadron, Helicopter, USNA 23rd Company


1952 Ballou LB.jpg
Charles Ballou
Class of 1952

Lieutenant Colonel, US Air Force

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

November 7, 1968 (40 years old)

Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA, Vietnam, 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1953 Gonano LB.jpg
Robert Gonano, Jr.
Class of 1953

1st Lieutenant, US Air Force

Bluefield, West Virginia

August 17, 1955 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1953 Naylor LB.jpg
Frankie Naylor
Class of 1953

Lieutenant, US Navy

Finger, Tennessee

October 2, 1957 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 93, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1954 Hess LB.jpg
David Hess
Class of 1954

Captain, US Marine Corps

Spokane, Washington

April 28, 1961 (31 years old)

Operational loss, NAF China Lake, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1954 Willis LB.jpg
James Willis, Jr.
Class of 1954

Lieutenant, US Navy

Milton, Massachusetts

September 25, 1961 (29 years old)

Operational loss, Naval Air Test Center, Fixed Wing, Family, USNA 23rd Company


1956 Lampsa LB.jpg
Thomas Lampsa, Jr.
Class of 1956

1st Lieutenant, US Air Force

Gilbert, Minnesota

October 9, 1958 (25 years old)

Operational loss, 347th Troop Carrier Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1959 Lawler LB.jpg
John Lawler
Class of 1959

Lieutenant, US Navy

Longview, Washington

August 13, 1964 (27 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 162, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company



1960 Williams LB.jpg
John Williams
Class of 1960

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Ridgewood, New Jersey

December 27, 1962 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 14, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company



1963 Burke LB.jpg
John Burke
Class of 1963

Lieutenant, US Navy

San Bernardino, California

May 22, 1968 (26 years old)

Operational loss, USS Scorpion (SSN 589), Submarine, USNA 23rd Company


1964 Gilbert LB.jpg
Galen Gilbert
Class of 1964

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

July 20, 1966 (23 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 194, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1964 Summers LB.jpg
Daryl Summers
Class of 1964

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Aberdeen, South Dakota

April 28, 1967 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 4, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1966 Brunk LB.jpg
Thomas Brunk
Class of 1966

Lieutenant, US Navy

Gallup, New Mexico

May 26, 1972 (29 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 31, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1966 Pender LB.jpg
Orland Pender, Jr.
Class of 1966

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Atlanta, Georgia

August 17, 1972 (27 years old)

Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA, Vietnam, Fighter Squadron (VF) 114, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company


1969 Jenkins LB.jpg
Gerald Jenkins
Class of 1969

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Michigan

March 16, 1981 (33 years old)

Operational loss, Air Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 33, USNA 23rd Company


1969 Connors LB.jpg
Kevin Connors
Class of 1969

Civilian

Wollaston, Massachusetts

September 11, 2001 (55 years old)

9/11, Civilian, Terrorism, USNA 23rd Company

★ Though we honor his service and sacrifice on this website, he is not eligible for inclusion in Memorial Hall.

1969 Connors LB.jpg
Kevin Connors
Class of 1969
Civilian
9/11, Civilian, Terrorism, USNA 23rd Company

★ Though we honor his service and sacrifice on this website, he is not eligible for inclusion in Memorial Hall.

1975 Morrow LB.jpg
Charles Morrow
Class of 1975

Lieutenant, US Navy

Cleveland, Ohio

January 8, 1980 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 75, Fixed Wing, USNA 23rd Company



1989 Greppin LB.jpg
Ernest Greppin, III
Class of 1989

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Westwood, Massachusetts

July 15, 1991 (24 years old)

Operational loss, SEAL, Parachute, USNA 23rd Company



1989 O'Neill LB.jpg
Edward O'Neill
Class of 1989

Lieutenant, US Navy

Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania

January 10, 1994 (27 years old)

Operational loss, Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 6, Helicopter, USNA 23rd Company


1995 McClung LB.jpg
Megan McClung
Class of 1995

Major, US Marine Corps Reserve

Mission Viejo, California

December 6, 2006 (34 years old)

Bronze Star, KIA, Global War on Terrorism, Iraq, Ground, USNA 23rd Company


2001 Jones LB.jpg
Landon Jones
Class of 2001

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Lompoc, California

September 22, 2013 (35 years old)

Operational loss, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 6, Helicopter, USNA 23rd Company