DANIEL R. HERTZFELDT, LT, USN
Daniel Hertzfeldt '62
Lucky Bag
From the 1962 Lucky Bag:
Daniel Richard Hertzfeldt
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Dan came to the Naval Academy after one year at La Crosse State Teachers College. As a plebe he played lacrosse, a game which he claimed originated in his home town. Although he had never played before, he led the team in scoring. Deciding that a varsity sport took too much time, he directed his natural athletic ability to intramural sports such as company soccer and basketball. Dan's major interest while at the Academy was to graduate, a goal he achieved with a minimum of study. Naturally Dan plans to enter Naval Aviation upon graduation and will undoubtedly be one of the Navy's finest.
He was also a member of the 20th Company staff (winter).
Daniel Richard Hertzfeldt
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Dan came to the Naval Academy after one year at La Crosse State Teachers College. As a plebe he played lacrosse, a game which he claimed originated in his home town. Although he had never played before, he led the team in scoring. Deciding that a varsity sport took too much time, he directed his natural athletic ability to intramural sports such as company soccer and basketball. Dan's major interest while at the Academy was to graduate, a goal he achieved with a minimum of study. Naturally Dan plans to enter Naval Aviation upon graduation and will undoubtedly be one of the Navy's finest.
He was also a member of the 20th Company staff (winter).
Loss
Daniel was lost on March 12, 1968 when his TS-95 Cougar plane crashed near the Patuxent River in Maryland. He was returning to the Naval Air Station at Kingsville, Texas, from Andrews Air Force Base when he crashed shortly after takeoff.
Other Information
From the June 1968 issue of Shipmate:
Lt. Hertzfeldt was born in Wisconsin, and attended La Crosse State University one year before entering the Naval Academy, where he played lacrosse. He was graduated in 1962. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, having flown 115 combat missions in the F4B Phantom II from the aircraft carrier INDEPENDENCE in 1965. He reported to Training Squadron 23 on 16 March 1967 and was serving as a flight instructor. He was awarded the Air Medal while serving with Fighter Squadron 41 aboard the INDEPENDENCE, and had been awarded his eighth Gold Star in lieu of a similar medal.
He also held the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Navy Commendation Medal, the National Defense and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Carl Hertzfeldt of 210 South 24th St., La Crosse, Wis.; two brothers, Lt. Donald Hertzfeldt, USA, of Colorado Springs, and David Hertzfeldt of Denver, Colo.; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Carl Hertzfeldt of Alma, Wis.
When he returned from a Vietnam combat deployment, he was profiled in the local La Crosse Tribune (Wisconsin) on December 26, 1965.
Daniel is buried in Wisconsin.
Photographs
From the June 1968 issue of Shipmate.
Distinguished Flying Cross
Unable to locate the citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross mentioned in his obituary above.
Related Articles
John Poe '62 was also in 20th Company.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
