USNA 19th 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 Doane LB.jpg
Paul Doane
Class of 1943

LT, USN

Brockton, Massachusetts

October 3, 1944 (23 years old)

KIA, WWII, Pacific, USS Seawolf (SS 197), Fratricide, Submarine, USNA 19th Company


1943 Nock LB.jpg
Walter Nock, Jr.
Class of 1943

ENS, USN

Salisbury, Maryland

August 9, 1942 (22 years old)

KIA, WWII, Battle of Savo Island, Pacific, USS Astoria (CA 34), Ship, USNA 19th Company


1944 Smith LB.jpg
Harold Smith
Class of 1944

LT, USN

Baltimore, Maryland

May 13, 1946 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1945 Humes LB.jpg
Jo Humes
Class of 1945

LCDR, USN

Springfield, Massachusetts

April 12, 1956 (33 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 21, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company



1946 Weigle LB.jpg
Howard Weigle
Class of 1946

LCDR, USN

New Castle, Pennsylvania

April 22, 1959 (37 years old)

Operational loss, Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 7, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1947 Switzer LB.jpg
John Switzer
Class of 1947

LCDR, USN

Pensacola, Florida

November 22, 1959 (34 years old)

Operational loss, Naval Air Test Center, Fixed Wing, Family, USNA 19th Company


1947 Sachse LB.jpg
Frederick Sachse, Jr.
Class of 1947

LTJG, USN

San Diego, California

April 25, 1952 (29 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 11, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1947 Guild LB.jpg
John Guild
Class of 1947

2LT, USMC

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

September 21, 1950 (25 years old)

Navy Cross, KIA, Korea, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Ground, USNA 19th Company


1947 Fantozzi LB.jpg
Donald Fantozzi
Class of 1947

LTJG, USN

Oak Park, Illinois

July 12, 1950 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1948 Rogers LB.jpg
William Rogers, Jr.
Class of 1948

ENS, USN

Boston, Massachusetts

January 10, 1949 (22 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company



1952 Gooding LB.jpg
William Gooding, Jr.
Class of 1952

LTJG, USN

Columbia, South Carolina

August 28, 1956 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Jet Transition Training Unit, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1953 Crawford LB.jpg
Glenn Crawford
Class of 1953

LTJG, USN

Fallbrook, California

November 10, 1955 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 91, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1953 Krusi LB.jpg
Peter Krusi
Class of 1953

CDR, USN

Smithfield, Utah

November 3, 1967 (37 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 8, MIA, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company




1954 Lambert LB.jpg
Walker Lambert
Class of 1954

LCDR, USN

Holly Grove, Arkansas

April 10, 1967 (36 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1954 Niederlander LB.jpg
Louis Niederlander, Jr.
Class of 1954

LTJG, USN

Warren, Pennsylvania

February 21, 1956 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 83, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1954 Wilson LB.jpg
Robert Wilson
Class of 1954

LTJG, USN

New York City, New York

December 28, 1956 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1954 Biederman LB.jpg
Robert Biederman
Class of 1954

LT, USN

Hartford, Connecticut

April 10, 1963 (32 years old)

Operational loss, USS Thresher (SSN 593), Submarine, USNA 19th Company


1954 Steele LB.jpg
James Steele
Class of 1954

LT, USN

Springfield, Massachusetts

May 28, 1959 (28 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 62, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1955 Litzenberg LB.jpg
Charles Litzenberg
Class of 1955

LTJG, USN

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

July 31, 1957 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 115, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1957 Doby LB.jpg
Herbert Doby
Class of 1957

LTCOL, USAF

Oregon City, Oregon

February 4, 1967 (35 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company



1957 Peace LB.jpg
John Peace, III
Class of 1957

CDR, USN

Northumberland, Pennsylvania

December 31, 1967 (32 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Attack Squadron (VA) 75, MIA, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1959 Ehlers LB.jpg
Ernest Ehlers
Class of 1959

LCDR, USN

Pottsville, Pennsylvania

April 3, 1969 (33 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 35, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1959 Smith LB.jpg
Badger Smith, III
Class of 1959

LTJG, USN

Washington, D.C.

January 12, 1962 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 5, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company



1960 Bengston LB.jpg
Robert Bengston
Class of 1960

LTJG, USN

Newport, Rhode Island

May 14, 1963 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 91, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company




1962 Tanger LB.jpg
Richard Tanger
Class of 1962

LTJG, USN

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

June 26, 1964 (23 years old)

Operational loss, Utility Squadron (VU) 10, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company


1963 Palenscar LB.jpg
Alexander Palenscar, III
Class of 1963

LCDR, USN

New York City, New York

March 27, 1967 (25 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Attack Squadron (VA) 112, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company



1963 Farrin LB.jpg
George Farrin
Class of 1963

LT, USN

Battle Creek, Michigan

May 22, 1968 (27 years old)

Operational loss, USS Scorpion (SSN 589), Submarine, USNA 19th Company


1963 Trani LB.jpg
Frederick Trani
Class of 1963

LT, USN

Hyde Park, New York

September 26, 1968 (28 years old)

Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, KIA, Vietnam, SEAL, Ground, HOFH19, HOFH22, USNA 19th Company




1977 Conroy LB.jpg
Patrick Conroy
Class of 1977

LTJG, USN

Missouri City, Texas

April 17, 1980 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 50, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company




1983 Gahn LB.jpg
Brian Gahn
Class of 1983

ENS, USN

Mamou, Louisiana

January 11, 1985 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Training Squadron (VT) 26, Fixed Wing, USNA 19th Company