DONALD B. MESSERSCHMIDT, MAJ, USMC
Donald Messerschmidt '59
Lucky Bag
From the 1959 Lucky Bag:
DONALD B. MESSERSCHMIDT
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thirteenth Company
Don left Purdue University and the rugged pledge life at the Alpha Tau Omega house for the four year course at Annapolis. Academics were a breeze, but Don claims to be one of the few men who took English as a Foreign Language. Although extremely good-natured, Don's pet peeve was to have someone insult or soil his "immaculate" caps. The purr of a sports car is music to the ears of this versatile man who likes to live fast, participate in sports, and appreciate the finer things in life. A look at the future will find Don in Naval Aviation.
DONALD B. MESSERSCHMIDT
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thirteenth Company
Don left Purdue University and the rugged pledge life at the Alpha Tau Omega house for the four year course at Annapolis. Academics were a breeze, but Don claims to be one of the few men who took English as a Foreign Language. Although extremely good-natured, Don's pet peeve was to have someone insult or soil his "immaculate" caps. The purr of a sports car is music to the ears of this versatile man who likes to live fast, participate in sports, and appreciate the finer things in life. A look at the future will find Don in Naval Aviation.
Loss
Donald was lost on July 29, 1969 when the aircraft he was piloting crashed near Quantico, Virginia.
Other Information
From the November 1969 issue of Shipmate:
Born in Fort Wayne, Ind., Maj. Messerschmidt attended Purdue University before he was graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1959 and reported to Basic School at Quantico. Following flight training at Pensacola and Corpus Christi, Maj. Messerschmidt served as a pilot with the Second Marine Air Wing based at Cherry Point, N. C, until 1963 when he returned to Corpus Christi as a flight instructor. From 1965 to 1968 he had instruction at the Postgraduate School, Monterey and at the Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. Maj. Messerschmidt was a pilot with the First Marine Air Wing in Vietnam for a year and in May 1969 joined Company C, Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base, Development Center, Quantico, as project officer, Air Support Division.
Among other awards he held the Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal with four stars and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 device.
Survivors include his widow Gail and three daughters Deirdre, Demise and Heidi, of Qtrs. 0-2, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va. 22134, and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Albert J. Messerschmidt of 2515 Lynn Ave., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46805.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Photographs
From the November 1969 issue of Shipmate.
Related Articles
Guy Parsons, Jr. '59 and Jack Phillips '59 were also in 13th 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.
