ROBERT M. KING, LTJG, USN
Robert King '50
Lucky Bag
From the 1950 Lucky Bag:
ROBERT MARVIN KING
Norfolk, Virginia
As a very obvious product of Norfolk and the University of Virginia, Kooney will always carry a thick Virginia accent, a love for Norfolk, and a quick answer as his trade marks. His favorite academic subjects were literature, history, and languages. These, of course, were secondary to his really great research in the field of lacrosse, for almost every spare moment was spent bouncing balls off the door and catching them in his butterfly net. If things go as it appears they will, Bob will some day be sailing his own ship back into Hampton Roads, the Navy Yard, and home.
ROBERT MARVIN KING
Norfolk, Virginia
As a very obvious product of Norfolk and the University of Virginia, Kooney will always carry a thick Virginia accent, a love for Norfolk, and a quick answer as his trade marks. His favorite academic subjects were literature, history, and languages. These, of course, were secondary to his really great research in the field of lacrosse, for almost every spare moment was spent bouncing balls off the door and catching them in his butterfly net. If things go as it appears they will, Bob will some day be sailing his own ship back into Hampton Roads, the Navy Yard, and home.
Loss
Robert was lost on January 25, 1954 when his AD-6 Skyraider aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean. He was a member of Attack Squadron (VA) 25, operating from USS Midway (CV 41).
Bonnie Brown of the USS Midway Museum graciously provided the accident report. It shows Robert's crash occurred at 9:17pm local time and while he was in the landing pattern. The weather was calm but with a surface haze; it seems that Robert lost view of the horizon and flew his airplane into the sea without realizing it.
Other Information
From USNA 1950:
Bob served on the USS Midway, followed by flight training at Pensacola and Corpus Christi. He then joined VA-25 at the Naval Air Station, Oceana, VA, flying AD aircraft.
Robert's father, Archer King, Jr. '15, was lost in active duty in 1944.
Robert was survived by his wife, Alva, and son, Robert, Jr.; he has a memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery. (Survivor information from March 1954 issue of Shipmate.)
Map
The approximate location of his crash, from Midway's deck log.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
