USNA 28th 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.


1949 Beeler LB.jpg
James Beeler
Class of 1949

2LT, USMCR

Jewell, Kansas

November 2, 1950 (22 years old)

Silver Star, KIA, Korea, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, Ground, USNA 28th Company


1949 Kent LB.jpg
William Kent, III
Class of 1949

LTJG, USN

Birmingham, Alabama

September 11, 1951 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 28th Company


1949 Skomsky LB.jpg
Stephen Skomsky
Class of 1949

LTJG, USN

Binghamton, New York

November 10, 1952 (27 years old)

Operational loss, Fixed Wing, USNA 28th Company



1965 Nelson LB.jpg
Paul Nelson
Class of 1965

CDR, USN

Green Bay, Wisconsin

September 13, 1981 (41 years old)

Operational loss, Helicopter Squadron (HS) 3, Helicopter, USNA 28th Company


1967 Kettner LB.jpg
Alan Kettner
Class of 1967

2LT, USMC

Springfield, Minnesota

April 3, 1968 (23 years old)

KIA, Vietnam, 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, Ground, USNA 28th Company


1967 Weiss LB.jpg
Thomas Weiss
Class of 1967

2LT, USMC

Havertown, Pennsylvania

May 18, 1968 (23 years old)

Bronze Star, KIA, Vietnam, 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, Ground, USNA 28th Company




1976 Gontkovic LB.jpg
Mark Gontkovic
Class of 1976

LTJG, USN

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

December 6, 1979 (26 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 35, Fixed Wing, HOFH19, HOFH21, HOFH22, USNA 28th Company


1979 Pohlmeyer LB.jpg
Mark Pohlmeyer
Class of 1979

LCDR, USN

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

May 6, 1986 (29 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 122, Fixed Wing, USNA 28th Company