JOHN T. LAWLER, LT, USN
John Lawler '59
Lucky Bag
From the 1959 Lucky Bag:
JOHN T. LAWLER
Longview, Washington
Twenty-third Company
John attended Oregon State College for one year before entering the Naval Academy and continued his high academic standing by wearing his stars proudly. During the football season, he was one of the hard-running backs on the Sixth Battalion football team. He was a member of the varsity track squad during the winter and spring months and was one of Navy's top sprinters. Extracurricular-wise, John was a member of the Russian Club, Trident Magazine Staff and was the Sixth Battalion representative to the Class Crest and Ring Committee. Naval aviation gains John's nod for the future.
He was also Company Commander of 23rd Company (fall) and a member of the Brigade Hop Committee.
JOHN T. LAWLER
Longview, Washington
Twenty-third Company
John attended Oregon State College for one year before entering the Naval Academy and continued his high academic standing by wearing his stars proudly. During the football season, he was one of the hard-running backs on the Sixth Battalion football team. He was a member of the varsity track squad during the winter and spring months and was one of Navy's top sprinters. Extracurricular-wise, John was a member of the Russian Club, Trident Magazine Staff and was the Sixth Battalion representative to the Class Crest and Ring Committee. Naval aviation gains John's nod for the future.
He was also Company Commander of 23rd Company (fall) and a member of the Brigade Hop Committee.
Loss
John was lost on August 13, 1964 when the fighter he was piloting crashed into the Pacific Ocean near San Clemente Island, California.
Other Information
From Redlands Daily Facts on August 19, 1964:
SAN DIEGO (UPI) - Coast Guard authorities late Tuesday called off a search for a Navy pilot whose plane crashed 21 miles south of San Clemente Island. The Navy said Lt. John T. Lawler, 27, of Fighter Squadron 162 at Miramar Naval Air Station, apparently suffered fatal head injuries on impact. Lawler leaves his widow, Sylvia, of San Diego, and his mother, Mrs. Alice Wright Wakeford, Kelso, Wash.
From the November 1964 issue of Shipmate:
All of the 23rd Co. and others who knew him well know we have lost a top-notch classmate and an outstanding officer. Our sympathy goes out to Sylvia and the baby.
John's Find A Grave page is here.
Related Articles
Ronald Obenland '59 was also in 23rd 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.
