USNA 15th Company

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall


The company is the most important unit in the Brigade of Midshipmen. Companies eat, sleep, study, drill, and compete together. Comprised of roughly 30-35 midshipmen from each of all four classes, they are led by 1/c Midshipmen. There are currently 30 companies in the Brigade, though this number has ranged from 8 in the late 1920s to 36 from the late 1940s to the late 1990s.

Some classes are in the same company for all four years; there is also "shotgunning" (all midshipmen in a class, usually following plebe year, are moved randomly to a different company) and "rifling" (again usually following plebe year, an entire group would move from one company to another). Even though many alumni were a part of more than one company during their four years at the Naval Academy, the list below is reflective of the company from which they graduated.


1943 Ruble LB.jpg
Robert Ruble
Class of 1943

LT, USN

Denver, Colorado

May 4, 1945 (24 years old)

KIA, WWII, Pacific, USS Lagarto (SS 371), Submarine, USNA 15th Company



1943 Petersen LB.jpg
Richard Petersen
Class of 1943

LTJG, USN

Ogden, Utah

March 26, 1944 (25 years old)

KIA, WWII, USS Tullibee (SS 284), Submarine, USNA 15th Company


1943 Hamilton LB.jpg
Hugh Hamilton
Class of 1943

LTJG, USN

Sherman, Texas

September 11, 1943 (24 years old)

KIA, WWII, Mediterranean, Salerno, USS Savannah (CL 42), Ship, USNA 15th Company




1944 Elpern LB.jpg
Alfred Elpern
Class of 1944

LT, USN

Reno, Nevada

September 4, 1947 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1944 McDonald LB.jpg
John McDonald, III
Class of 1944

LT, USN

Los Angeles, California

February 27, 1950 (28 years old)

Operational loss, Experimental Squadron (VX) 3, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1945 Griest LB.jpg
Thomas Griest
Class of 1945

LTJG, USN

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

January 9, 1948 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1948 Netherland LB.jpg
Roger Netherland
Class of 1948

CAPT, USN

Beaver, Pennsylvania

May 10, 1967 (41 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1948 Callahan LB.jpg
William Callahan
Class of 1948

LT, USNR

New York, New York

September 14, 1951 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 831, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company

He is not currently listed with his classmates in Memorial Hall.

1948 Callahan LB.jpg William Callahan
Class of 1948
LT, USNR
Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 831, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company

He is not currently listed with his classmates in Memorial Hall.

1949 Peterson LB.jpg
Richard Peterson
Class of 1949

CDR, USN

Redondo Beach, California

December 23, 1964 (37 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 13, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1950 King LB.jpg
Robert King
Class of 1950

LTJG, USN

Norfolk, Virginia

January 25, 1954 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 25, Map, Fixed Wing, Family, USNA 15th Company


1950 Martinelli LB.jpg
Richard Martinelli
Class of 1950

MIDN, USN

Westmont, New Jersey

July 18, 1949 (22 years old)

Operational loss, USS Missouri (BB 63), Ship, USNA 15th Company


1950 Nall LB.jpg
Delbert Nall
Class of 1950

LT, USN

Stockton, California

March 3, 1960 (32 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 74, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1952 Bartosh LB.jpg
Timothy Bartosh, Jr.
Class of 1952

LTJG, USN

Granger, Texas

June 16, 1954 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1952 Manfredi LB.jpg
John Manfredi
Class of 1952

LCDR, USN

Brooklyn, New York

November 26, 1965 (37 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 74, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1953 Greaney LB.jpg
Thomas Greaney
Class of 1953

LTJG, USN

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

September 26, 1955 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VW) 4, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1954 Ball LB.jpg
Kenneth Ball
Class of 1954

1LT, USMC

Utica, New York

January 22, 1957 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Marine Corps Test Unit, Parachute, USNA 15th Company


1954 Gates LB.jpg
Fred Gates, II
Class of 1954

LCDR, USN

Wilmington, Delaware

August 19, 1967 (35 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 25, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1956 Collier LB.jpg
Merrill Collier
Class of 1956

LT, USN

New Richmond, Ohio

April 10, 1963 (31 years old)

Operational loss, USS Thresher (SSN 593), Submarine, USNA 15th Company


1957 Swope LB.jpg
Charles Swope
Class of 1957

CAPT, USAF

Newport, Kentucky

November 9, 1966 (31 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company




1958 Pierce LB.jpg
Massey Pierce
Class of 1958

LTJG, USN

Fort Thomas, Kentucky

June 15, 1960 (23 years old)

Operational loss, Utility Squadron (VU) 7, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company




1962 LaVoo LB.jpg
John LaVoo
Class of 1962

CAPT, USMC

Pueblo, Colorado

September 19, 1968 (28 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 542, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1963 Galloway LB.jpg
Charles Galloway
Class of 1963

LTJG, USN

Evansville, Indiana

April 1, 1966 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 112, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1963 Puckett LB.jpg
Thomas Puckett
Class of 1963

ENS, USN

Holdenville, Oklahoma

November 19, 1963 (23 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1964 Cassell LB.jpg
Robin Cassell
Class of 1964

LTJG, USN

Fort Huachuca, Arizona

July 15, 1967 (25 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Attack Squadron (VA) 152, MIA, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1965 Hansford LB.jpg
Keith Hansford
Class of 1965

ENS, USN

Green Bay, Wisconsin

July 14, 1966 (23 years old)

Operational loss, Training Squadron (VT) 5, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company



1980 Harman LB.jpg
Nicholas Harman
Class of 1980

LT, USN

Phoenix, Arizona

September 30, 1983 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 34, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1984 Bates LB.jpg
John Bates
Class of 1984

LCDR, USN

Chattanooga, Tennessee

January 29, 1996 (33 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 213, Fixed Wing, USNA 15th Company


1985 Dunn LB.jpg
Patrick Dunn
Class of 1985

CDR, USN

Fords, New Jersey

September 11, 2001 (39 years old)

KIA, 9/11, Terrorism, HOFH21, USNA 15th Company