DAVID E. BERGSTROM, LT, USN
David Bergstrom '92
Lucky Bag
From the 1992 Lucky Bag:
David Erick Bergstrom
Annandale, Virginia
"Plebes, your rooms stink! Your rates stink! Your uniforms stink!" "Oh, You DID???????"; Paul M-o-r-r-a-s-e-t-t-y Pie; Calculus II Final; Funnelator and running from BOOW; Bottlerockets; Your Secret Admirer; "Open Arms"; All Calls for Shifty--"YouF.D."; Joe's rescue from 16th Co's upperclass by company officer; T.J.; OCF/Miller Haus and bowling alley; DANNY!; Sparky: "Smiles everybody, smiles!"; Ted Bundy in electric chair; Toe in the gas turbine; Dave's quality friends; Johnny Cash vs. Tone Loc (Tone wins by a small margin); "And it burns, burns, burns in a ring of fire"; John: "I owe two, you owe three, and Joe owes minus one"; Dave's size 11 room fresheners; "Burn me out a copy!"; In STEAM -- Ahhhhhhhhh!; "Michele, Jaa, Kim, Bergstrom, Johnson"; FLY NAVY!--Mike and Joe (FO God and SWO God, Respectively)
David Erick Bergstrom
Annandale, Virginia
"Plebes, your rooms stink! Your rates stink! Your uniforms stink!" "Oh, You DID???????"; Paul M-o-r-r-a-s-e-t-t-y Pie; Calculus II Final; Funnelator and running from BOOW; Bottlerockets; Your Secret Admirer; "Open Arms"; All Calls for Shifty--"YouF.D."; Joe's rescue from 16th Co's upperclass by company officer; T.J.; OCF/Miller Haus and bowling alley; DANNY!; Sparky: "Smiles everybody, smiles!"; Ted Bundy in electric chair; Toe in the gas turbine; Dave's quality friends; Johnny Cash vs. Tone Loc (Tone wins by a small margin); "And it burns, burns, burns in a ring of fire"; John: "I owe two, you owe three, and Joe owes minus one"; Dave's size 11 room fresheners; "Burn me out a copy!"; In STEAM -- Ahhhhhhhhh!; "Michele, Jaa, Kim, Bergstrom, Johnson"; FLY NAVY!--Mike and Joe (FO God and SWO God, Respectively)
Loss
From Philly.com on June 20, 2000:
… Dey and Bergstrom were assigned to Fighter Squadron 101 at the Oceana Naval Air Station in Oceana. …
Bergstrom, who was single, had more than 1,200 flight hours with more than 1,000 aboard a Tomcat. He was an instructor radar intercept officer.
Other Information
From Shipmate Magazine:
Lieutenant David Erick Bergstrom died in the line of duty on 18 June 2000, when his F-14 Tomcat crashed while performing at the NAS Willow Grove Airshow in Pennsylvania. Memorial services and interment with full military honors took place on 5 July 2000 at Arlington National Cemetery.
Dave was raised in Annandale, VA, and graduated from W.T. Woodson High School in 1987. He went on to study at Virginia Tech for a year prior to attending the Naval Academy. At the Naval Academy, Dave served in the 15th and 22nd Companies before graduating in May 1992.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Dave selected naval aviation and moved to Pensacola, FL, to begin his training as a Naval Flight Officer. His quiet professionalism soon manifested itself and Dave was assigned to his first choice of aircraft, the F-14 Tomcat. In 1994, Dave earned his wings and reported to Fighter Squadron 101 for his initial training as a Tomcat radar intercept officer.
With his calm and determined demeanor, Dave quickly completed his initial training and was assigned to Fighter Squadron 14, the world famous "Tophatters." During his first fleet tour, Dave completed two deployments to Europe and the Persian Gulf aboard John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in support of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Deliberate Force.
In April 1999, Dave returned to Fighter Squadron 101 as a flight instructor. His uncompromising standards and total devotion to duty quickly earned him the reputation as one of the top radar intercept officers in the fleet. In February 2000, he was selected as one of four aircrew to be a member of the Atlantic Fleet's elite F-14 Tomcat Flight Demonstration Team, and it was during the performance of these duties that Dave died in the tragic crash on 18 June 2000.
Dave is survived by his wonderful and loving parents, Captain James and Catherine Bergstrom; his two sisters, Karen and Patty; and his many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Dave has touched the lives of so many people so deeply that to say he will not be forgotten is foolish. We cannot forget Dave, because he gave so much of himself to everyone he met. He pushed us all to be better, and helped make us who we are today. We will be reminded of Dave with every waking moment. Godspeed, David Erick Bergstrom, we will miss you. LT Michael Hocker '92
From the Daily Press, Newport News, VA on June 24, 2000:
Lt. David Erick Bergstrom was a skilled flier, a leader and a good friend with a touch of mischief in him, fellow naval aviators recalled fondly at a memorial service Friday.
“After flying with him once, I knew he was special,” Cmdr. Luke Parent said during the service at Oceana’s chapel. A hard worker who was unflappable under pressure, Bergstrom earned the respect of his squadron mates and superiors, Parent said.
Lt. Loran Hayes said Bergstrom also was a lot of fun. Hayes recalled how he and Bergstrom as “sunburned, half-drunk aviators,” once got into trouble by riding around Greece on scooters – and running into their skipper.
Other aviators described Bergstrom as a cheerful person who was easy to confide in, even about subjects as intimate as faith and relationships.
Billie Dey '92 was Dave's classmate and was pilot of the F-14 Tomcat Dave was aboard when it crashed.
David is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
David is one of 2 members of the Class of 1992 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
