WILLIAM J. AYERS, LT, USN
William Ayers '43
Lucky Bag
From the 1943 Lucky Bag:
WILLIAM JUDSON AYERS
Coalinga, California
Born and reared in the California oilfields, Bill left the promising city of Coalinga to go down to the sea in ships. His days at the Naval Academy were full and enjoyable. Ability in track, swimming, soccer, et al., made his afternoons busy ones and a genuine appreciation of all kinds of music coupled with an active interest in the NA-10 rounded out the cultural side of his existence. We remember him for his academic ability, his sincerity, and his fundamental ambition to make his place in the fleet. . . . California sunshine (the dry—not the liquid kind) exceeded its reputation when it produced Bill.
He was commander of 2nd Company for the second set.
The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.
WILLIAM JUDSON AYERS
Coalinga, California
Born and reared in the California oilfields, Bill left the promising city of Coalinga to go down to the sea in ships. His days at the Naval Academy were full and enjoyable. Ability in track, swimming, soccer, et al., made his afternoons busy ones and a genuine appreciation of all kinds of music coupled with an active interest in the NA-10 rounded out the cultural side of his existence. We remember him for his academic ability, his sincerity, and his fundamental ambition to make his place in the fleet. . . . California sunshine (the dry—not the liquid kind) exceeded its reputation when it produced Bill.
He was commander of 2nd Company for the second set.
The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.
Loss
William was lost on September 26, 1945 when his airplane crashed "eight miles south of New Smyrna, Fla." (Information from September 1946 issue of Shipmate.)
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Bill graduated from Coalinga High School in 1937. He played Ko-Ko in “The Mikado,” sang a solo in the Christmas cantata, and played in the orchestra. He was on the debate team and fire squad, was editor-in-chief of the yearbook, vice president of the student body, broadjumper and sprinter on the track team, and member of the swim team.
Lieutenant John Tyler Shepherd (’43,) who was Bill’s roommate at Annapolis, escorted his body home. The two served almost continuously together. Bill was buried in Amona’s Grangeville Cemetery in the family plot. His father Clifford was a guager in the oil well industry, mother Beatrice, brother Richard, and sister Beverly.
From the Fresno Bee on October 3, 1945:
COALINGA (Fresno Co.), Oct, 3.—The body of Lieutenant William Judson Ayers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford S. Ayers, killed in an airplane crash neat Orlando, Fla. last Wednesday, while on a routine flight, was to arrive in Coalinga today and services will be held in the Baptist Church here tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. Military rites will be held at the graveside in the Grangeville Cemetery, where the internment will be in the family plot.
The body was accompanied here by a navy escort under the command of Lieutenant John Tyler Shepard, who was Ayers' roommate at Annapolis, graduating in the same class, and the two serving almost continuously together in the war operations since 1942.
Widow In Coalinga
The young naval officer's widow, the former Echo Jensen, formerly a United Air Lines hostess, who resided in San Mateo with the couple’s 2 month old daughter, Margo, arrived here Sunday morning, having flown from Orlando to Fresno.Avers had started on a routine training flight in 4F4 navy fighter plane from the Orlando field at about 7:30 o'clock in the evening. At an altitude of about 2.000 feet, his engine failed and, after making several attempts to start it, he radioed in his difficulties and said he was going to bail out.
A companion flyer was near him and followed the plane down. Ayers had bailed out but apparently his parachute did not open in time to break the force of his drop. He was killed instantly.
Went To Annapolis
Avers was a graduate of the Coalinga High School and attended the University of California far two years, entering the naval academy at Annapolis through a competitive examination in 1939. He was graduated with the class of 1942 and was assigned to destroyer duty, being transferred to aviation in June of last year. He had only a few weeks more to complete his training.
The destroyer mentioned was USS Kalk (DD 611), though it's not clear when he served aboard.
From the Class of 1943 anniversary book "25 years later…":
Bill was born in Coalinga, California on 4 October 1919 and appointed to the Naval Academy on 21 June 1939. After graduation in June 1942, he attended a number of short schools, served in the USS KALK and the USS PORTERFIELD in both of which he saw combat action in the Pacific. He entered flight training in January 1944. He served at the Naval Air Stations, Dallas Texas; Pensacola, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; and Sanford, Florida. It was at NAS, Sanford that he lost his life in an aircraft crash eight miles south of New Smyrna, Florida on 26 September 1945. Bill's decorations included the Purple Heart, the American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), American Area Defense Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with three bronze stars and the WWII Victory Medal. He was survived by his wife Echo Jansen and their daughter Margo who at Bill's death resided at Lincoln Apartments, Winter Park, Florida.
He is buried in California.
Photographs
From his high school yearbook
From The Fresno Bee The Republican on September 28, 1945
From his high school yearbook: "Atop his fashionable New York penthouse, we find our noted statesman, Bill Ayers, gone in for gardening in a big way. Even though his vegetables fail, his beard is sure to stand by him – then, too, it saves on the razor blade expense."
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