WALLACE B. MECHLING, LT, USN
Wallace Mechling '57
Lucky Bag
From the 1957 Lucky Bag:
WALLACE BRUCE MECHLING
Norman, Oklahoma
Since Bruce was a Navy Junior, he decided to keep the Navy in the family and follow his father into the Fleet. While at Navy, he was able to keep well ahead of the academics, and devoted a lot of time to the lacrosse stick. A few years after graduation he hoped to replace the lacrosse stick with the control stick of an airplane. His only worries while at the Academy were about which girl was his "true love" that week. He would go along with any kind of a gag, and had a good time his four years by the Bay.
WALLACE BRUCE MECHLING
Norman, Oklahoma
Since Bruce was a Navy Junior, he decided to keep the Navy in the family and follow his father into the Fleet. While at Navy, he was able to keep well ahead of the academics, and devoted a lot of time to the lacrosse stick. A few years after graduation he hoped to replace the lacrosse stick with the control stick of an airplane. His only worries while at the Academy were about which girl was his "true love" that week. He would go along with any kind of a gag, and had a good time his four years by the Bay.
Loss
Bruce was lost when the A-3 Skywarrior he was piloting crashed on a mountain in central Luzon, Philippines, on January 13, 1962. He was flying from USS Coral Sea (CVA 43) and is buried in California. The copilot and crewman aboard were also lost.
Other
His father was commanding officer of the NROTC unit at the University of Oklahoma in 1955.
Related Articles
Kurt Gareiss '57, William Weaver '57, and Richard Hartman '57 were also members of 6th Company.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
