ROGER W. TILLSON, JR., LTJG, USN

Roger Tillson, Jr. '51

Date of birth: April 24, 1928

Date of death: August 26, 1954

Age: 26

Lucky Bag

From the 1951 Lucky Bag:

Roger Weston Tillson, Jr.

Middleborough, Massachusetts

Hails from the Bay State . . . stolid and serious to the uninitiated . . . imaginative and volatile to those who know him. . . likes to laugh. . . found at the bottom of many pranks . . . combines all these traits in such a manner as to win the respect for all his classmates . . . salt water in his blood . . . loves to sail . . . motto could well be "It it floats put a sail on it." . . . finds that dragging and sailing don't interfere . . . with his New Englander's perseverance he has been trying for four years to convince his Rebel friends that "damn Yankee" isn't one word . . . with his love for the sea, should enjoy a long service career.

He was also a member of the 10th Company staff (winter).

Roger Weston Tillson, Jr.

Middleborough, Massachusetts

Hails from the Bay State . . . stolid and serious to the uninitiated . . . imaginative and volatile to those who know him. . . likes to laugh. . . found at the bottom of many pranks . . . combines all these traits in such a manner as to win the respect for all his classmates . . . salt water in his blood . . . loves to sail . . . motto could well be "It it floats put a sail on it." . . . finds that dragging and sailing don't interfere . . . with his New Englander's perseverance he has been trying for four years to convince his Rebel friends that "damn Yankee" isn't one word . . . with his love for the sea, should enjoy a long service career.

He was also a member of the 10th Company staff (winter).

Loss

From (now-defunct) Ejection History:

On 8/26/54, two AD-6 Skyraiders from the Attack Squadron 195 took off from Moffett Field Naval Air Station, California at 9:07am on the routine training flight. The lead plane BuNo 133254 was piloted by Lieutenant Commander Hubert L. Worrell followed by BuNo 135264 flown by Lieutenant (junior grade) Roger W. Tillson Jr. The purpose of the flight was long range low level navigation from Moffett Field seaward west of San Francisco, then to a point near Fallon, Nevada and return to Moffett. After taking off, the flight headed west for 35 miles then north for 32 miles. On the third leg of the flight they turn east, heading back towards land on course towards Fallon, Nevada. They encountered scattered clouds near Santa Rosa. As the flight continued at an estimated altitude between 1500 and 2000 feet, they entered an overcast three to five miles from the impact point. The two aircraft were in formation at an estimated 140 knots, in a climbing, slight right wing down attitude as they collided with the mountain. Both aircraft disintegrated on impact, killing the pilots instantly.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Roger graduated from Memorial High School in 1946. As president and member of Pro Merito Society, he attained at least an 85% average for all four years of high school. In the senior play “Smiling Through,” Roger portrayed a WWI American soldier, and he wore a military uniform. Prophecy: Admiral Roger Tillson of the United State Navy has ordered the government’s chief engineer, Frank Scholz, to build a series of bridges over the Nemasket River. Admiral Tillson then plans to have atomic bombs dropped on the bridges so that he and engineer Scholz can view the wreckage. Class Will: Unto the leading men in the senior play of next year, we leave Roger Tillson’s desire for a uniform – be it Army or Navy.
Roger wrote an Essay and Valedictory speech entitled "Development of Education in the Town of Middleboro" which was published in the yearbook. The final paragraph:

Four years have passed since we of the Class of 1946 entered Memorial High School. They have been troubled years, interrupted by the problems of country at war and of then changing back to peace again, but they have been years that have prepared us to meet life. It is with the hope that the experiences and preparation of these years will enable us to make this world a better place in which to live that we say farewell to M. H. S.

Roger married Joy Chessman on January 11, 1952, in Columbiana, Ohio. In July that year, Joy was matron of honor at Ensign James Stanley Holland’s wedding at Pensacola. He was an officer with Roger at the base.
In 1940, his father was president of a commercial bank.

Roger was survived by his wife, Joy Chessman Tillson, and daughter, Susan, in addition to his parents. (Information from October 1954 issue of Shipmate.)

He is buried in California.