JAMES B. MCLENDON, LT, USN
James McLendon '66
Lucky Bag
From the 1966 Lucky Bag:
JAMES BERKELEY McLENDON
Roanoke, Virginia
Mac came right out of high school in Roanoke, Virginia, and has never ceased letting us know that the South hasn't surrendered, yet. Whether or not he can convince us of this, he does have the ability to talk. He was the first plebe to win the Brigade Oratorical Contest and the first man ever to win it twice in a row. Also along this line, Mac has been an active member of the Masqueraders. These activities haven't taken all of his time, however. He has managed to find time to be a member of the varsity sailing team as well as one of the hardest workers on the Brigade Hop Committee and Ring Dance Committee. If you have ever walked into his room and taken a look around, you know what his career plans are. Mac will make a fine addition to Naval Aviation.
JAMES BERKELEY McLENDON
Roanoke, Virginia
Mac came right out of high school in Roanoke, Virginia, and has never ceased letting us know that the South hasn't surrendered, yet. Whether or not he can convince us of this, he does have the ability to talk. He was the first plebe to win the Brigade Oratorical Contest and the first man ever to win it twice in a row. Also along this line, Mac has been an active member of the Masqueraders. These activities haven't taken all of his time, however. He has managed to find time to be a member of the varsity sailing team as well as one of the hardest workers on the Brigade Hop Committee and Ring Dance Committee. If you have ever walked into his room and taken a look around, you know what his career plans are. Mac will make a fine addition to Naval Aviation.
Loss
James was lost on February 17, 1969 when the P-2A he was piloting crashed three miles north of York, AL. He was stationed at the Meridian, MS Naval Air Station a few miles away. He was a student; the instructor pilot, USNR LT(jg) Larry S. Sawyer was also killed.
Other Information
From the May 1969 issue of Shipmate:
Lt. McLendon was born in Panama City, Republic of Panama, and was an honor graduate of William Fleming High School, Roanoke, Va. He won the Virginia State Championships in both the American Legion and the Voice of Democracy oratorical competitions, and in 1962 was given a Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation award. While a midshipman, he was a member of the varsity sailing team, participated in dramatics and forensics, and twice won the Jewish War Veterans of the U. S. speaking contest; he also served as "Salty Sam" for the midshipmen magazine The Log.
After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1966, Lt. McLendon reported to USS HENRY B. WILSON as assistant combat information center officer, and in Oct. 1968 he entered basic training at Pensacola, Fla. Two months later he reported to Naval Air Station, Meridian, where he was a student pilot attached to Training Squadron Seven at the time of the accident.
Survivors include his widow, the former Andrea Gale Dart of Annapolis, who resides at 4609 Broadmoor Dr., Apt. #121, Meridian, Miss. 39301; his parents Mr. and Mrs. James B. McLendon Jr. of 3410 Collingwood St., N.E., Roanoke, Va. 20412, and a sister Miss Anne C. McLendon.
Berkeley was an honor graduate of William Fleming High School in Roanoke, VA. He participated in several clubs and was a leader of the Thespian Troop and Literary Club. He participated in Boys' State in 1961 and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and Methodist Youth Fellowship.
While at USNA Berkeley served aboard the USS Sampson (DDG-10) during 3rd class summer cruise. He received aviation training at Pensacola and Jacksonville, and served aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59).
Berkeley married Andrea in 1967. Friends and classmates, Ensigns Eugene J. Holler, James E. Acker, James Herringer, James Heimer, and Lieuts. George F. Cronin and Geoffrey Nelson, were ushers at their wedding.
Berkeley was stationed aboard the USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) during a six-month deployment to the western Pacific and Vietnam in 1968, being promoted to the rank of LT(jg) during that deployment.
James's Find A Grave page is here.
Photographs
From the May 1969 issue of Shipmate.
From The World-News on May 1, 1962; it was inset with his column, "High School Senior Finds Our System Good"
Newspaper Column
From the May 1, 1962 issue of The World-News:
"Roanoke Is Looking UP!" High School Senior Finds Our System Good
By James Berkeley McLendon
DEAR CITIZENS OF ROANOKE:
For almost 12 of the 18 years of my life I have had a job, a very important job, the most important job that I will ever have. My place of business has been the classrooms, my employers my teachers, my fellow workers-students, with whom and from whom I have learned. My city, state and parents have spent a great deal of money on me during that 12 years. And now I want to look closely at the product and ask myself, as 1 hope my fellow students will ask themselves-am I worth what it cost?Three years ago through my speech topic of "Education in America." In preparation for this debate I studied the British and Russian systems of education as well as our own. It was just after the advent of Sputnik and I remember how shaken the people of our country were over the success of Russia. People began to ask questions and level the finger of criticism squarely at our schools. And this was good. We needed much of this criticism and we needed to be shaken from our complacency. But in the end, when all was added up, we found that in answering the question - "We are educating for what?" - American schools are firmly entrenched in the necessity of education for ALL, while the philosophy of the Russian schools was more brilliant specialists in engineering technology to serve the Master State with scant recognition to the masses beyond a very limited education and with everybody regimented quite strictly. And so I found that the difference between the shadow of the communistic Master State and the substance of the American Way with our God-given freedom of choice.
Standing out as quite important in my academic training is not only the content but the methods in my science and math studies toward which my interest is gauged. Programmed math offered me an opportunity to work individually at my own rate of speed and to complete all the math courses offered by my school. For me and many of my classmates it was a wonderful experience in learning under a new method.
In the area of science I have found most stimulating not only the regular courses in chemistry and physics but also the city-wide engineering course offered to 20 students this year. I am proud that my city has been the first in the nation to offer this advanced course and feel most fortunate that I have been allowed to take it.
Yes, we are forging ahead in math and the sciences, but I would ask earnestly that we never lose sight of the great importance of the courses in the humanities and liberal arts. You know, it would be quite possible for one of these 20 young engineering students to conceive and design an awesome machine that might travel to a new galaxy of stars and return, or design a contraption that could change the atomic structure of matter and could turn all of us into molten lava in a matter of seconds.
What we do with this new learning then depends upon man's humanity to man, his understanding of the other people of the earth and his realization that we must learn to get along with each other all over the world.
These things I have learned in my studies of the humanities and the liberal arts. From reading some of the world's best literature I have learned to cut across racial boundaries and to understand and appreciate the cultures and achievements of other races. many of whose histories and civilizations go back much further than ours. By studying the liberal arts I have been made a more understanding person and because I have learned to understand other people I have learned to understand myself better. So I would plead that we not sell short the humanities and liberal arts courses. Man must understand and learn to live with man every. where in the world. It is as simple as the lesson taught by the greatest of all Teachers from the world's greatest Book of Literature and Ethics. I am speaking to the Golden Rule and, you know, I think we might well call it the "Magic Ingredient" by which mankind can rise to heights of peace, greater than we have ever envisioned.
And then there is the area of electives and so-called extracurricular activities. From my study of drama and dramatics I have learned the lesson of hard work, long rehearsal sessions not watching the clock, but continuing until something fine has been created by the group.
In the area of speech I have visited our nation's capital along with 49 other state representatives and have been taught a wonderful lesson in American government by visits to Congress, the FBI, foreign embassies and many fine museums.
I learned much about the Constitution and many other famous American documents and visited many schools in our state and other states as a Legion speaker.
It was my great privilege to serve as a representative to our Boy's State and to have been a member of our two honor societies, the Beta Club and National Thespian Society. I mentioned these to show that they have been a part, and an important part, in making me what I am today—a product of the American school system, which is the most important single gift to all American citizens who will accept and use it as they are growing up.
As I enter my second job-my college training-at the U.S, Naval Academy next fall, I must realize that what I am and what I hope to become will be determined by the use I make of what my country and my system of education in a democracy has given me.
Once again, thank you, Mom and Dad, Roanoke, Virginia, and My Country.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Berkeley McLendon, a sentor at Willam Fleming High School, has won numerous oratorical and public speaking honors, including the Virginia Voice of Democracy and American Legion contests in 1961. He was adjutant general of Boys State in 1961, is a second lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol and president of the Fleming Thespian Troupe. He becomes a plebe at the U.S. Naval Academy this summer.
Related Articles
Dean Matzko '66 was also in 24th Company.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.