WILLIAM O. HERRING, LTJG, USNR

William Herring '53

Date of birth: July 1, 1931

Date of death: December 20, 1956

Age: 25

Naval Academy Register

William Otis Herring was admitted to the Naval Academy with an At Large appointment on July 23, 1949 at age 18 years 1 months.

He was "discharged because of unsatisfactory conduct" on May 15, 1951.

Lucky Bag

William does not appear in the 1953 Lucky Bag. He was pictured in the 1951 Lucky Bag, though, as a member of 2nd Company.

William as a 3/c in the 1951 Lucky Bag.

Loss

William was lost on December 20, 1956 when the F-9 Cougar he was piloting crashed near Monterey, California. He was a member of Attack Squadron (VA) 26, stationed at Moffett Naval Air Station.

Other Information

From Find A Grave:

Non graduate member of the US Naval Academy class of 1953. Subsequently commissioned via the Aviation Officer Candidate program. Killed in a training accident at Monterey, CA. Survived by his wife and infant child.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

William was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
William and his section leader, Lt. Joseph T. Erk, were engaged in a “high speed tactical maneuver” when William suddenly dived out of sight from their 17,000 altitude. The crash occurred on a Carmel valley ranch owned by Verle Studebaker. William was found a half mile from the wreckage still strapped in his seat. The F9F8 Cougar jet exploded several times and set two acres on fire.
Survivors were his wife, the former Mary Kathryn Jordan whom he married on 9/10/1955 at the Wren Chapel, College of William and Mary; daughter Laurie, 6 months old; parents Rear Admiral Lee Rutledge Herring (’24) and Adele Varro Otis Herring; and sister Evelyn Herring Portz. His parents are both buried in Arlington Cemetery, too.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, with "Virginia" on his headstone.