USNA 20th 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.



1945 Counts LB.jpg
William Counts
Class of 1945

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Huntington, West Virginia

November 9, 1961 (38 years old)

Operational loss, Air Development Squadron (VX) 6, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1945 Bayless LB.jpg
Horace Bayless
Class of 1945

Ensign, US Navy

Bay Springs, Mississippi

April 6, 1945 (23 years old)

KIA, WWII, Kamikaze, Okinawa, Pacific, USS Howorth (DD 592), Ship, USNA 20th Company


1946 Adkins LB.jpg
Lewis Adkins, Jr.
Class of 1946

Lieutenant, US Navy

Washington, D.C.

February 2, 1955 (33 years old)

Operational loss, Guided Missile Unit (GMU) 52, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1946 Metschl LB.jpg
John Metschl
Class of 1946

Commander, US Navy

Buffalo, New York

October 15, 1963 (39 years old)

Operational loss, USS Staten Island (AGB 5), Helicopter, USNA 20th Company


1946 Smith, F LB.jpg
Franklin Smith, Jr.
Class of 1946

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Greenville, South Carolina

September 15, 1950 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Korea, Fighter Squadron (VF) 63, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1948 Plank LB.jpg
Clarence Plank
Class of 1948

Ensign, US Navy

Beatrice, Nebraska

June 1, 1950 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 3, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1948 Wood LB.jpg
Alan Wood
Class of 1948

Ensign, US Navy

Daytona Beach, Florida

May 26, 1950 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1948 Engel LB.jpg
Gordon Engel
Class of 1948

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Minneapolis, Minnesota

November 14, 1961 (36 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 12, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company



1950 Gardiner LB.jpg
Thomas Gardiner, III
Class of 1950

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Oakland, California

July 27, 1954 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 93, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1951 Kozel LB.jpg
William Kozel
Class of 1951

Lieutenant, US Navy

Bridgeport, Ohio

January 4, 1961 (34 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 121, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1951 Nall LB.jpg
Stanford Nall
Class of 1951

1st Lieutenant, US Air Force

Meridian, California

January 19, 1955 (28 years old)

Operational loss, 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1951 Sherman LB.jpg
Peter Sherman
Class of 1951

Captain, US Navy

Bay Village, Ohio

June 10, 1967 (37 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Attack Squadron (VA) 56, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company





1953 Allard LB.jpg
John Allard
Class of 1953

1st Lieutenant, US Air Force

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

February 25, 1955 (23 years old)

Operational loss, 723rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1953 Butler LB.jpg
Charles Butler
Class of 1953

Commander, US Navy

Paintsville, Kentucky

June 14, 1967 (38 years old)

Operational loss, Reconnaissance Attack Wing 1, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company



1953 Johnson LB.jpg
Harley Johnson
Class of 1953

Captain, US Air Force

Seattle, Washington

April 6, 1964 (36 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1953 Schmitt LB.jpg
George Schmitt
Class of 1953

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Dayton, Kentucky

September 14, 1955 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1953 Welsh LB.jpg
James Welsh
Class of 1953

Captain, US Air Force

Boulder City, Nevada

December 23, 1963 (32 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1955 St. George LB.jpg
Edward St. George, Jr.
Class of 1955

Captain, US Air Force

Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

January 10, 1962 (28 years old)

Operational loss, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1956 Craig LB.jpg
Robert Craig
Class of 1956

Lieutenant, US Navy

Pasadena, California

August 19, 1963 (31 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 143, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1956 McAlister LB.jpg
Rex McAlister, Jr.
Class of 1956

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Chattanooga, Tennessee

February 11, 1960 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 50, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1957 Brown, R LB.jpg
Robert Brown
Class of 1957

Lieutenant Colonel, US Air Force

Portsmouth, Virginia

November 7, 1972 (39 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company



1958 D'Armand LB.jpg
Monte D'Armand
Class of 1958

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Clearwater, Florida

May 9, 1969 (34 years old)

Operational loss, Air Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 22, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1959 Witt LB.jpg
Charles Witt
Class of 1959

Lieutenant, US Navy

Lubbock, Texas

May 24, 1967 (31 years old)

Silver Star, KIA, Vietnam, River Patrol Section 531, Riverine, USNA 20th Company


1959 Mulrooney LB.jpg
Robert Mulrooney
Class of 1959

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Bronx, New York

December 21, 1968 (31 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 76, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company



1961 Connell LB.jpg
James Connell
Class of 1961

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Wilmington, Delaware

January 14, 1971 (31 years old)

Navy Cross, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA, POW, Vietnam, Attack Squadron (VA) 55, USNA 20th Company



1962 Poe LB.jpg
John Poe
Class of 1962

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Laurel, Maryland

August 4, 1970 (31 years old)

Operational loss, Vietnam, River Division 592, USNA 20th Company


1964 Rodrick LB.jpg
Peter Rodrick
Class of 1964

Commander, US Navy

Brockton, Massachusetts

November 28, 1979 (36 years old)

Operational loss, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1965 Sedar LB.jpg
Dean Sedar
Class of 1965

Ensign, US Navy

Casper, Wyoming

March 26, 1966 (22 years old)

Operational loss, Training Squadron (VT) 7, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1965 Taylor LB.jpg
Craig Taylor
Class of 1965

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

San Juan Capistrano, California

June 27, 1968 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 111, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1967 Hicks LB.jpg
James Hicks
Class of 1967

Lieutenant, US Navy

Albuquerque, New Mexico

September 30, 1971 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 97, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company



1968 Dalton LB.jpg
John Dalton
Class of 1968

Lieutenant Colonel, US Marine Corps

Mountain Home, Idaho

November 17, 1983 (37 years old)

Operational loss, Marine Air Base Squadron 11, US Marine Corps, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1969 Barden LB.jpg
Arnold Barden, Jr.
Class of 1969

Lieutenant (j.g.), US Navy

Huntington Beach, California

September 20, 1971 (25 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, Helicopter Attack Squadron (Light) (HA(L)) 3, Helicopter, USNA 20th Company




1979 Abel LB.jpg
Edward Abel, Jr.
Class of 1979

Lieutenant Commander, US Navy

Little Rock, Arkansas

September 10, 1989 (32 years old)

Operational loss, USS Peleliu (LHA 5), Helicopter, USNA 20th Company


1981 Dolan LB.jpg
Robert Dolan
Class of 1981

Captain, US Navy

Florham Park, New Jersey

September 11, 2001 (43 years old)

KIA, 9/11, Terrorism, HOFH21, USNA 20th Company