USNA 21st 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.


1948 Da Rodda LB.jpg
Nello Da Rodda
Class of 1948

LTJG, USN

Summit Hill, Pennsylvania

November 3, 1952 (29 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company


1948 Hollister LB.jpg
Edgar Hollister
Class of 1948

CAPT, USMC

Santa Barbara, California

October 25, 1952 (28 years old)

Silver Star, KIA, Korea, Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 121, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company



1951 Pierce LB.jpg
Billy Pierce
Class of 1951

ENS, USN

Joplin, Missouri

July 18, 1952 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company



1954 Parker LB.jpg
Eugene Parker
Class of 1954

LTJG, USN

Birmingham, Alabama

December 6, 1957 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 105, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company



1956 Mayfield LB.jpg
Douglas Mayfield
Class of 1956

LT, USN

Sacramento, California

June 11, 1965 (33 years old)

Operational loss, NAF China Lake, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company



1958 Flynn LB.jpg
William Flynn
Class of 1958

LTJG, USN

Orange, New Jersey

December 21, 1960 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Patrol Squadron (VP) 7, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company



1960 Wilson LB.jpg
William Wilson
Class of 1960

ENS, USN

St. Petersburg, Florida

April 26, 1961 (25 years old)

Operational loss, USS Redfin (SS 272), Submarine, USNA 21st Company



1961 Marshall LB.jpg
Willard Marshall
Class of 1961

CAPT, USMC

Mill Valley, California

June 11, 1968 (30 years old)

Bronze Star, KIA, Vietnam, 27th Marines, Ground, USNA 21st Company



1963 Vermaire LB.jpg
Peter Vermaire
Class of 1963

MAJ, USAF

Grand Rapids, Michigan

October 23, 1974 (34 years old)

Operational loss, Naval Test Pilot School, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company




1964 Kurlak LB.jpg
William Kurlak
Class of 1964

LTJG, USN

Kailua, Hawaii

November 23, 1966 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 83, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company


1965 Erickson LB.jpg
Stephen Erickson
Class of 1965

CAPT, USMC

Longview, Washington

June 22, 1971 (27 years old)

Operational loss, Naval Test Pilot School, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company


1967 Johnson LB.jpg
Joseph Johnson
Class of 1967

LTJG, USN

Mount Carmel, Illinois

January 29, 1969 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Training Squadron (VT) 3, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company


1969 Pasquale LB.jpg
Thomas Pasquale
Class of 1969

CAPT, USMC

Perkasie, Pennsylvania

July 18, 1979 (32 years old)

Operational loss, No. 4 Squadron (RAF), Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company


1971 Compton LB.jpg
Michael Compton
Class of 1971

MAJ, USMC

Orlando, Florida

July 18, 1984 (35 years old)

Operational loss, Helicopter, USNA 21st Company



1975 Thorne LB.jpg
Stephen Thorne
Class of 1975

Anderson, South Carolina

May 24, 1986 (33 years old)

USNA 21st Company


1976 Price LB.jpg
Dean Price
Class of 1976

LT, USN

Baltimore, Maryland

June 15, 1980 (25 years old)

Operational loss, Composite Squadron (VC) 8, Helicopter, USNA 21st Company


1977 Surch LB.jpg
James Surch, Jr.
Class of 1977

LT, USN

Lompoc, California

October 23, 1983 (29 years old)

KIA, Lebanon, Beirut Bombing, Terrorism, USNA 21st Company


1981 Davidson LB.jpg
William Davidson
Class of 1981

LT, USN

Buford, South Carolina

June 18, 1987 (29 years old)

Operational loss, Fighter Squadron (VF) 33, Fixed Wing, USNA 21st Company






2010 Wayland LB.jpg
Patrick Wayland
Class of 2010

2LT, USMC

Midland, Texas

August 6, 2011 (24 years old)

Operational loss, USNA 21st Company