Friend Van Fleet, Jr. '44
Date of birth: February 22, 1921
Date of death: March 9, 1954
Age: 33
Lucky Bag
From the 1944 Lucky Bag:
Friend Cheadle Van Fleet, Jr.
Akron, Ohio
From football practice to his bunk. That was a daily round trip for Van. Just how he managed to make the grades he did by following this schedule has remained a mystery. Frequent tangles with the Executive Department convinced him, finally, that they were not at all afraid of him. With a friendly smile as an introduction, Van walked into the Academy determined to continue his climb to the top. Although easy-going in nature, he has an ardent desire to do all of his jobs well. A guy with a fighting heart and the kind of fellow to have around when things begin to get hot—that's Van.
The Class of 1944 was graduated in June 1943 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.
Loss
Friend was lost in a plane crash at NAAS El Centro, California, on March 9, 1954. He was survived by his wife, Wanda "Sandy" McKinney, and two daughters. (Information from May 1954 issue of Shipmate.)
He is buried in Ohio.
Memorial Hall Error
Every source found — including the Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy 1943-1944 and previous editions, the Lucky Bag, and his gravestone indicate his last name was spelled with a space. It appears as one word in Memorial Hall.
Class of 1944
Friend is one of 66 members of the Class of 1944 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
