GEORGE L. GLEASON, LTJG, USN
George Gleason '51
Lucky Bag
From the 1951 Lucky Bag:
George Lawrence Gleason
Sag Harbor, New York
"Flip" . . . swimmer . . . confident . . . helpful . . . immaculate . . . academics never bother Flip . . . "Eight periods tomorrow, George." . . . "Ah, yes, I will do my skinny and then we can go to bed early." . . . calm, collected at all times . . . the picture of his lovely fiancee on the desk contributes a good share of his self satisfaction and of course the pipe helps . . . did I say pipe? . . . excuse me, George, pipes . . . a true pipe collector . . . desiring to add a few pounds to his slim frame, he has tried every conceivable method from two helpings of butter to a giant size pill that looks like a marble . . . he will always have an abundance of friends and best wishes. . . .
He was also a member of the swim team.
George Lawrence Gleason
Sag Harbor, New York
"Flip" . . . swimmer . . . confident . . . helpful . . . immaculate . . . academics never bother Flip . . . "Eight periods tomorrow, George." . . . "Ah, yes, I will do my skinny and then we can go to bed early." . . . calm, collected at all times . . . the picture of his lovely fiancee on the desk contributes a good share of his self satisfaction and of course the pipe helps . . . did I say pipe? . . . excuse me, George, pipes . . . a true pipe collector . . . desiring to add a few pounds to his slim frame, he has tried every conceivable method from two helpings of butter to a giant size pill that looks like a marble . . . he will always have an abundance of friends and best wishes. . . .
He was also a member of the swim team.
Loss
George was lost on March 31, 1954 when his aircraft, sitting on the deck of USS Midway (CV 41), was destroyed by a plane that crashed into it. The ship was operating in the Mediterranean Sea at the time; George was a member of Fighter Squadron (VF) 31.
The other pilot was killed, as was an airman working on the deck of the carrier. There is a twelve-photo sequence of the F2H-3 Banshee of VF-31 "Tomcatters" going over the barrier, and then a picture of the result.
Other Information
He was survived by his wife, Grete, and two daughters. (Information from May 1954 issue of Shipmate.) He is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor, New York.
Related Articles
Ralph Stothard '51 was also on the swim team.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
