WILLIAM T. CAIN, LT, USN
William Cain '59
Lucky Bag
From the 1959 Lucky Bag:
WILLIAM T. CAIN
Jasper, Alabama
Twelfth Company
Bill, a true Southern Gentleman, left his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers at Birmingham Southern and journeyed to the banks of the Severn to accept a new life and new brothers. Even though he despises cold weather, he fought the cold and the Severn to win a place on the varsity dinghy team. Bill is an easy going fellow who always had a cheerful smile and "hello" for everyone and will be remembered by all who knew him as the fellow who couldn't be awakened by an atomic explosion.
WILLIAM T. CAIN
Jasper, Alabama
Twelfth Company
Bill, a true Southern Gentleman, left his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers at Birmingham Southern and journeyed to the banks of the Severn to accept a new life and new brothers. Even though he despises cold weather, he fought the cold and the Severn to win a place on the varsity dinghy team. Bill is an easy going fellow who always had a cheerful smile and "hello" for everyone and will be remembered by all who knew him as the fellow who couldn't be awakened by an atomic explosion.
Loss
From The Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland) on December 11, 1964:
NORFOLK. Va. (AP)-A Navy S2E tracker airplane has ditched in the ocean off the Virginia Capes. Two men were rescued shortly afterward by the submarine Argonaut. Two other men were missing. The airplane, which was operating with the submarine, was last heard from at 1:40 a.m. Thursday. The airplane was attached to an antisubmarine squadron based at the Norfolk Naval Air Station. A Navy spokesman said the rescued men are Lt. (JG) William J. Belli and Air Crewman Ronald E. Rumpf. The missing men are Lt. William T. Cain, husband of Mrs. Sandra Cain of Norfolk and son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Cain of Jasper, Ala., and Air Crewman Jackie D. Kelly, husband of Mrs. Nancy Kelly of Virginia Beach, Va.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
William graduated from Walker County H.S. in May 1954: “W” Club, Beta Club, Quest Club, Advertising Manager Annual Staff. At Birmingham Southern, he played in the horseshoe tournament which was won by his fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He married Sandra Brown on June 13, 1959. They left the church under an arch of swords held by fellow naval officers: Ensign William H. Batts (‘59,) Lt. George H. Braham, Ens. Wayne J. Haley (‘59,) Lt. David H. Calhoun, Lt. (jg) G. E. Good, and Ens. Griffin Hamilton (‘59.)
After graduating from the Naval Academy, he first served aboard the destroyer McGowan. He was aboard when the destroyer was turned over to the Spanish Navy on December 1, 1960, in Barcelona.
He completed six arrested carrier landings and qualified for advanced flight training on October 26, 1961, while assigned to Training Squadron Five at the Saufley Field Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Pensacola. The landings were made aboard the anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier USS Antietam operating in the Gulf of Mexico. He was designated a Naval Aviator in April 1962.
In October 1963, he became a qualified Officer of the Deck of the anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier, USS Intrepid, while the ship was at sea. He had voluntarily stood Junior Officer of the Deck watches on the bridge to gain the required knowledge and skill.
Photographs
From the Daily Mountain Eagle on May 31, 1962
From the 1963 cruise book of USS Intrepid (CV 11)
Related Articles
James Leonard '59 and Alvin Wilderman '59 were also in 12th Company.
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