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

LCDR, USN

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

ENS, USN

Bay Springs, Mississippi

April 6, 1945 (23 years old)

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



1946 Metschl LB.jpg
John Metschl
Class of 1946

CDR, USN

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

LTJG, USN

Greenville, South Carolina

September 15, 1950 (26 years old)

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



1948 Wood LB.jpg
Alan Wood
Class of 1948

ENS, USN

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

LCDR, USN

Minneapolis, Minnesota

November 14, 1961 (36 years old)

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






1951 Sherman LB.jpg
Peter Sherman
Class of 1951

CAPT, USN

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

1LT, USAF

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

February 25, 1955 (23 years old)

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




1953 Johnson LB.jpg
Harley Johnson
Class of 1953

CAPT, USAF

Seattle, Washington

April 6, 1964 (36 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1953 Schmitt LB.jpg
George Schmitt
Class of 1953

LTJG, USN

Dayton, Kentucky

September 14, 1955 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 20th Company


1953 Welsh LB.jpg
James Welsh
Class of 1953

CAPT, USAF

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

CAPT, USAF

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

LT, USN

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

LTJG, USN

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

LTCOL, USAF

Portsmouth, Virginia

November 7, 1972 (39 years old)

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






1959 Mulrooney LB.jpg
Robert Mulrooney
Class of 1959

LCDR, USN

Bronx, New York

December 21, 1968 (31 years old)

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




1962 Poe LB.jpg
John Poe
Class of 1962

LCDR, USN

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

CDR, USN

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

ENS, USN

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

LTJG, USN

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

LT, USN

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

LTCOL, USMC

Mountain Home, Idaho

November 17, 1983 (37 years old)

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


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

LTJG, USN

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

LCDR, USN

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

CAPT, USN

Florham Park, New Jersey

September 11, 2001 (43 years old)

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