GEORGE G. FETTERER, 1LT, USAF
George Fetterer '55
Lucky Bag
From the 1955 Lucky Bag:
GEORGE FETTERER
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
After graduating from North High School in 1950, George enlisted in the Fleet and came to Navy via Newport. He was known as G 2 in the halls of Bancroft. Center forward on the soccer team since his Youngster year, George never slighted sleeping, eating, sports, liberty, or dragging. His sincerity coupled with a friendly manner, a fine sense of humor, a repertoire of jokes and songs, and a gregarious nature make George's acquaintances his friends and his friends his buddies. Ask George what he liked best at Navy . . . liberty after football games.
He was also a member of the 16th Company Winter Leadership and the soccer team.
GEORGE FETTERER
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
After graduating from North High School in 1950, George enlisted in the Fleet and came to Navy via Newport. He was known as G 2 in the halls of Bancroft. Center forward on the soccer team since his Youngster year, George never slighted sleeping, eating, sports, liberty, or dragging. His sincerity coupled with a friendly manner, a fine sense of humor, a repertoire of jokes and songs, and a gregarious nature make George's acquaintances his friends and his friends his buddies. Ask George what he liked best at Navy . . . liberty after football games.
He was also a member of the 16th Company Winter Leadership and the soccer team.
Loss
George was killed when the B-52 Stratofortress he was aboard crashed short of the runway in Puerto Rico on February 1, 1960.
Other Information
From the Sheboygan Press, February 2, 1960:
A US Air Force officer from Sheboygan was among seven crewmen killed Mon. night in the crash of an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress at Ramey Air Base at San Juan, PR.
The victims included First Lt. George G. Fetterer, 27, son of Mrs. Eleanor Fetterer, 2235 N. 23rd St., and the late Benedict Fetterer.
The giant eight-jet bomber crashed just short of the air base runway during "touch and go" landing practices. An Air Force spokesman said the crash and the fire which followed demolished the huge plane, killing all crewmen aboard. Officials described the weather at the time as ideal. An investigation was ordered.
In addition to his mother, Lt. Fetterer is survived by his wife; three children; six brothers and three sisters.
Lt. Fetterer had been based at Ramey since last Oct. His family was with him in PR.
A 1950 graduate of North High School, Lt. Fetterer enlisted in the US Navy and was stationed at Great Lakes IL, Newport RI, and Bainbridge MD. While at Newport, he attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School and received a fleet appointment after completing a series of competitive examinations.
He entered the Naval Academy in July, 1951. During his four years at the school, he received three varsity letters in soccer. During his first class year, he served as company commander and platoon commander.
Following his graduation from the US Naval Academy in June, 1955, Fetterer was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Air Force. This was possible under an agreement between the service schools at Annapolis and West Point by which a man graduated from either can, upon application, be commissioned into the Air Force.
He is buried in Wisconsin.
Photographs
From the Lucky Bag
Memorial Hall Error
George's middle name was also George, per the Annual Register of the United States Naval Academy 1955-1956. His middle initial is omitted in Memorial Hall.
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