THEODORE O. RADINSKY, ACAD, USA
Theodore Radinsky '27
Theodore Oswald Radinsky, Jr. was admitted to the Naval Academy from Nebraska on July 12, 1923 at age 19 years 8 months.
He resigned on February 16, 1924.
Lucky Bag
Theodore is listed in the Lucky Bag under the "Two-Year Men" section with the following at the top of the page:
THESE ARE THE MEN who have been members of the Class of Nineteen Hundred Twenty-seven, but for various reasons—in many cases through no fault of their own—they did not graduate with our class. Some of them are now in civilian life, and to them we wish all the success that life can offer. Others are members of classes now in the Academy, and for them we hope that our meeting as brother officers in the Service, though delayed, is no less certain of fulfillment. We look forward to that meeting after they achieve their long-sought goal—Graduation.
Note he is listed as a "Jr" in the Lucky Bag; Memorial Hall omits this suffix, as does his headstone.
Photographs
From the Wesleyan yearbook of 1926.
Loss
Theodore was lost on January 24, 1930 when the plane he was piloting crashed on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande near Fort Ringgold, Texas.
Other Information
From the Lincoln Star on January 25, 1930:
Cadet Aviator, Former Wesleyan Athlete, Killed
Theodore Radinsky, 25, Dies After Plane Crashes In Mexico.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex., Jan. 25—(AP)—Cadet Theodore Radinsky, 25, a student flyer from Kelly Field, San Antonio, died late Friday from injuries received when his plane crashed on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande opposite Fort Ringgold, Tex.
A short delay was experienced in reaching Radinsky and bringing him across the river on a skiff to Fort Ringgold hospital for emergency treatment. Later he was placed aboard a plane which was rushed to the scene, for a flight to Kelly field. He died before the plane arrived here. Radinsky was in a pursuit plane which, with four other ships was making a test flight to Fort Ringgold. He lost control of his plane at an altitude of 150 feet as he was about to land. The plane went into a tail spin and crashed. He suffered a fractured skull and internal injuries. His home was at Vera Beach, Fla.
Attended Wesleyan University.
Cadet Radinsky was the son of Mr. and Mrs. T. O. Radinsky, residents of University Place for about ten years. In the fall of 1923, he went to the naval academy at Annapolis on appointment of the then Congressman R. H. Thorpe, However, during his first semester at Annapolis, illness forced him to drop out. He returned to Wesleyan university, where he had previously attended, and graduated a few years ago.While at Wesleyan, Radinsky was an assistant to Prof. F. M. Gregg, psychology professor. An article on “Are Racoons Color-Blind?” written by Radinsky at that time appeared in the December, 1929, issue of the Journal of Comparative Psychology at Baltimore.
Radinsky achieved considerable fame as an athlete, being a three letter man in tennis and a two-letter man in football and basketball. He graduated from the liberal arts college in 1927 and entered the air service in March, 1929. While at Wesleyan, he was a member of Upsilon chapter of Phi Ka Tau.
A brother, Edward Radinsky, arrived in Lincoln last week from Brazil where he was an engineer for the Brazilian Telephone company. He is in Lincoln on a three months leave.
He is buried in Florida.
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