JOHN C. FRIEND, CAPT, USAF

John Friend '49

Date of birth: July 31, 1927

Date of death: July 24, 1955

Age: 27

Lucky Bag

From the 1949 Lucky Bag:

John C. Friend

Fort Worth, Texas

One of 1949's younger entries, Smiley has been wearing stars on his collar since Plebe Year. His high school background in Fort Worth plus a year and a half as a Chemical Engineering major at Yale University was the major contributing factor to his ease at understanding any and all subjects thrown at him. He has been more than a little interested in one specialty, German, and has been on the after-dinner speaking list of many a German Club meeting. Much free time was spent in using a Yawl Command acquired Plebe Year or engaging in batt and company athletics. Preferred duty as far as this converted landlubber is concerned is with the submarines.

John C. Friend

Fort Worth, Texas

One of 1949's younger entries, Smiley has been wearing stars on his collar since Plebe Year. His high school background in Fort Worth plus a year and a half as a Chemical Engineering major at Yale University was the major contributing factor to his ease at understanding any and all subjects thrown at him. He has been more than a little interested in one specialty, German, and has been on the after-dinner speaking list of many a German Club meeting. Much free time was spent in using a Yawl Command acquired Plebe Year or engaging in batt and company athletics. Preferred duty as far as this converted landlubber is concerned is with the submarines.

Loss

John was killed in a mid-air collision over Alabama on July 24, 1955.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

John graduated from Paschal High School in January 1944. He attended TCU until June 1944 when he was awarded a $400 scholarship to Yale through a regional competition.
On June 15, 1944, John was chapter president of the Texas Epsilon Chapter, Delta Province, Phi Delta Lambda Epsilon. He held a hayride and barbecue at his grandfather’s country home. The next week, all the members went to the Grand Council meeting in Oklahoma City.
At the time of his crash, John was on temporary assignment at Montgomery’s Maxwell Air Force Base as an instructor. His home base was Laredo Air Force Base.
He was survived by his wife, the former Mary Gradsky, daughter Patricia, 9 months old, parents Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Friend, and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Chollar of Fort Worth. His father was division master mechanic for the Texas & Pacific railroad. He and his wife moved to Washington, D. C., where he was assistant director of the railway transport department of the Office of Defense Transportation.

He was survived by his wife, Mary, and daughter, Patricia. (Information from November 1955 issue of Shipmate.)

John is buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

Korea Service

From The Corpus Christi Caller-Times on Tuesday, February 19, 1952:

… Lt. John C. Friend of San Antonio, Texas, was credited with knocking down one Red plane in the clash.…

He was piloting an F-86 Sabre at the time (January 1952). He was flying with the 16th Fighter Group, and had been doing so since May 1951 "except for a brief period as a fire control observer at the front with the 24th division."