EDWARD C. HOTZ, JR., 1LT, USAF

Edward Hotz, Jr. '50

Date of birth: March 26, 1926

Date of death: May 5, 1953

Age: 27

Lucky Bag

From the 1950 Lucky Bag:

EDWARD C. HOTZ, JR.

East St. Louis, Illinois

V-5, V-12, and N.R.O.T.C. helped prepare Ed for the Naval Academy where he easily built a reputation as the most regulation man in the Brigade. Many a Plebe was saved the trouble of coming around to an upperclassman's room by Ed's knowledge of anything from the number of links in a YP's anchor chain to Stalin's personal valet. He was active in athletics during his Naval Academy days, being a member of both the Varsity Track and Wrestling Teams. Ed realized his childhood ambition in graduating from the Naval Academy.

EDWARD C. HOTZ, JR.

East St. Louis, Illinois

V-5, V-12, and N.R.O.T.C. helped prepare Ed for the Naval Academy where he easily built a reputation as the most regulation man in the Brigade. Many a Plebe was saved the trouble of coming around to an upperclassman's room by Ed's knowledge of anything from the number of links in a YP's anchor chain to Stalin's personal valet. He was active in athletics during his Naval Academy days, being a member of both the Varsity Track and Wrestling Teams. Ed realized his childhood ambition in graduating from the Naval Academy.

Loss

Ed was lost when his F-86 crashed near Perrin AFB, Texas on May 5, 1953. He was a member of the 3555th Flying Training Group.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Edward graduated from Cathedral High School, Belleville, Illinois, in 1944. Class Will: bequeaths my football letter, with all the technique I used to get it. Horoscope: Likes Most: The Navy. Hates Most: Low Grades. Seen Most: Studying??? Ambition: Annapolis. Destiny: Farragut. He won first place in the annual Oratory and Elocution Contest for his speech on “General Mark Wayne Clark.” [He was the youngest four-star general in the U.S. Army in WWII.]

From Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas):

SHERMAN W -Lt. Edward Hotz, decorated for 13 months of flying F80 Shooting Stars in Korea, was killed in the crash of an F86B Sabrejet during a takeoff from Perrin Air Force Base today.
Hotz had been an instructor since January, He was in Korea from November, 1951, until December, 1952, and was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross medal.
A native of Belleville, Ill., Hotz was a resident of Sherman, where he met and married Barbara Jean Hotz. Their son Edward III is one year old.

Edward had returned the previous November to Perrin Air base, where he was an instructor since January. He flew 118 missions in Korea, where he served for over a year.

Edward was survived by his parents, wife Barbara, and 7-month-old son Edward C. Hotz, III. He is buried in Illinois.