PHILLIP L. REED, CDR, USN
Phillip Reed '65
Lucky Bag
From the 1965 Lucky Bag:
PHILLIP LANCE REED
Rootstown, Ohio
Phil entered the Naval Academy direct from Rootstown High School in Ohio. During his four years at the Academy, Penguin, not to be bothered by academics, was very active in extracurricular activities. The Brigade Hop Committee, the Ring Dance Committee, the Lucky Bag Staff, the Sailing Squadron, and Cheerleaders were all graced by Penguin's presence and pleased with his easy ways and winning smile. While not participating in one of these activities Penguin could either be found checking his eye-lids for light leaks or playing at squash with one of his aging roommates. The games were notoriously funny in that the ball got progressively colder as the heat of the game soared. Penguin's success in squash was only surpassed by his success in blind dating. Even though he lost a game or two, the game he won was definitely his best.
PHILLIP LANCE REED
Rootstown, Ohio
Phil entered the Naval Academy direct from Rootstown High School in Ohio. During his four years at the Academy, Penguin, not to be bothered by academics, was very active in extracurricular activities. The Brigade Hop Committee, the Ring Dance Committee, the Lucky Bag Staff, the Sailing Squadron, and Cheerleaders were all graced by Penguin's presence and pleased with his easy ways and winning smile. While not participating in one of these activities Penguin could either be found checking his eye-lids for light leaks or playing at squash with one of his aging roommates. The games were notoriously funny in that the ball got progressively colder as the heat of the game soared. Penguin's success in squash was only surpassed by his success in blind dating. Even though he lost a game or two, the game he won was definitely his best.
Loss
Phillip was lost when his S-3A crashed short of USS Nimitz (CVN 68) on November 17, 1981 approximately 70 miles northwest of Sicily. He was the Commanding Officer of Air Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 24.
Shipmate
From the January-February 1982 issue of Shipmate:
Cdr. Philip Lance Reed USN was lost at sea on 17 November 1981 when the S-3A Viking in which he was making a routine flight from the carrier Nimitz plunged into the Mediterranean Sea about a mile from the ship and some seventy miles northwest of Sicily. Two other Naval Academy graduates, Lt. Douglas C. Deem USN '76 and Lt. (jg) Carey A. Arthur USN '79 were also killed as well as P03 Charles M. Wade USN. Memorial services for Cdr. Reed were held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Jacksonville. Florida, on 20 November, and at Cecil Field on 23 November.
Appointed to the Naval Academy from the State of Ohio, he was graduated with the Class of 1965 and later took flight training, receiving his wings in 1967. Among his duty stations was the Antisubmarine Squadron 35 at North Island. California, and assignment at the Academy where he served 1970-72 as assistant director of resources. He also had served on the recovery team for the Apollo 11 space flight, aboard HORNET and he had received a master's degree from the naval postgraduate school in Monterey. At the time of his death, he was in command of an anti-submarine squadron aboard NIMITZ.
He is survived by his widow, Linda King, of Orange Park; two daughters, and the daughter of a previous marriage; and his parents of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He has a memory marker in Tennessee.
Related Articles
Douglas Deem '76 and Carey Arthur '79 were also killed in this crash.
Memorial Hall Error
The correct spelling of his first name is "Phillip" with two Ls. Memorial Hall has "Philip." Lucky Bag has two Ls — and he was advertising editor of the Lucky Bag. Also "Phillip" in the Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps of 1966 and Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy 1962-1963.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
