IRAD B. OXLEY, LCDR, USN
Irad Oxley '43
Date of birth: February 27, 1921
Date of death: October 16, 1951
Age: 30
Contents
Lucky Bag
From the 1943 Lucky Bag:
Loss
Blair was lost on October 16, 1951 when his F2H-2 Banshee, operating from USS Essex (CV 9), was hit by anti-aircraft artillery and crashed near Majon-ni, North Korea. The aircraft exploded on impact with the ground.
He was squadron operations officer for Fighter Squadron (VF) 172. He has a memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery.
Other
One month before he was shot down, on September 16, 1951, he had a mid-air collision with another aircraft from his squadron. Irad was able to land safely, but the other pilot was lost when his aircraft crashed into another aircraft during recovery aboard USS Essex (CV 9).
Blair was an honorable mention for the 1942 All American Lacrosse team.
Class of 1943
Irad is one of 79 members of the Class of 1943 in Memorial Hall.
