JOHN W. HARVEY, LCDR, USN
John Harvey '50
Lucky Bag
From the 1950 Lucky Bag:
JOHN WESLEY HARVEY
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Strangely enough, football and stars, too. No, Wes didn't forsake the books when he left the University of Pennsylvania to join the ranks at Crabtown, even though Varsity Football was quite demanding. No favorite study, since they all came in stride as evidenced by that Youngster Skinny 4.0 final. Wes was characterized by his earnestness for perfection, whether in academics, athletics, or regimentation; and it was manifested in his every action. The selfless assistance to less savvy classmates won him many friends and an enviable reputation in the brigade. Without a doubt, Wes will carry this same spirit into his life's work; and coupled with his inherent abilities, the Navy will indeed receive a competent officer.
He was also a member of the 2nd Regiment staff (3rd set).
JOHN WESLEY HARVEY
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Strangely enough, football and stars, too. No, Wes didn't forsake the books when he left the University of Pennsylvania to join the ranks at Crabtown, even though Varsity Football was quite demanding. No favorite study, since they all came in stride as evidenced by that Youngster Skinny 4.0 final. Wes was characterized by his earnestness for perfection, whether in academics, athletics, or regimentation; and it was manifested in his every action. The selfless assistance to less savvy classmates won him many friends and an enviable reputation in the brigade. Without a doubt, Wes will carry this same spirit into his life's work; and coupled with his inherent abilities, the Navy will indeed receive a competent officer.
He was also a member of the 2nd Regiment staff (3rd set).
Loss
John was lost on April 10, 1963 when USS Thresher (SSN 593) sank in the Atlantic Ocean.
Other Information
From USS Thresher Memorial:
John Wesley Harvey was born on September 4, 1927, in Bronx, N.Y. As a child, he moved with his family to Philadelphia, where he resided during his preservice years. He attended Henry Edmunds Elementary School, Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, and Frankford High School, and honor student throughout.
During his high school years, he was a member of the student board, Victory Corps, and also served as advertising manager of the school newspaper. John also participated in sports, and was a member of the varsity football and baseball teams. Upon graduating high school, John was awarded the Board of Education Scholarship, with full tuition, at the University of Pennsylvania. He also received the Ellis A. Gimbel Citizenship Award, and was selected to the "One Hundred Club of Philadelphia" whose members are picked by the school principals and coaches from students having the highest combined standing in scholarship and athletics.
"Wes" was enrolled in the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, from February 1945 until September 1946, when he won a long-desired appointment to the Naval Academy. While at Pennsylvania, Wes maintained honor grades, played varsity football, and was president of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
His naval career began at the Naval Academy in September 1946, when he was sworn in as a midshipman, class of 1950.
During his Academy years, he continued to excel in academics in addition to starring in athletics, and participating in a full schedule of extracurricular activities.
Graduated and commissioned ensign in June 1950, Wes received his orders to report to his first ship, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Coral Sea (CVA 43), as assistant navigator. A volunteer for submarines, he was selected for training and graduated from submarine school in July 1951, standing 3 in a class of 77.
While serving in submarine U.S.S. Sea Robin (SS 407), he was designated qualified in submarines and selected for advanced training in nuclear propulsion. He received this training at the Westinghouse's Bettis Laboratory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Idaho Falls, Idaho. In July 1955, he reported to U.S.S. Nautilus (SSN 571) and remained with that command until August 1958. During that time he participated in two Arctic cruises, the second of which was climaxed by the first submerged transit of the north polar region and earned the crew a Presidential Unit Citation.
After more than a year as first engineer of a new prototype reactor in Windsor, Connecticut, Wes commissioned the nuclear-powered submarine U.S.S. Tullibee (SSN 597), as engineering officer.
In May 1961, he was selected as executive officer of Sea Dragon (SSN 584), based at Pearl Harbor. In Sea Dragon, Wes participated in the historic rendezvous with Skate (SSN 578) at the North Pole in 1962.
A citation for service aboard Sea Dragon under the ice was to have been presented to John upon his return to the New London area, but was instead presented to his wife at a brief ceremony in July 1963.
John Wesley Harvey assumed command of the U.S.S. Thresher (SSN 593) in January 1963, following 3 months of duty at the Naval Reactors Branch of the Bureau of Ships.
John is survived by his widow, Irene Harvey; two sons, John Wesley, Jr.; Bruce Walter; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Manning J. Harvey of Philadelphia; and a brother, Mr. M. J. Harvey, Jr., of Stratford, Connecticut.
From USNA 1950:
Wes was aboard the USS Coral Sea as Assistant Navigator before beginning his distinguished career in submarines. After submarine school he went to the USS Sea Robin. He was assigned to USS Nautilus for the remarkable North Pole transit, then was chief engineer on USS Tullibee. He later commanded the USS Thresher, which carried Wes and his crew into the depths for their last dive.
From an article on his brother, Manning Harvey, Jr., via researcher Kathy Franz, in The Bridgeport Post, Connecticut, April 11, 1963:
He said his brother always came to Stratford to watch his football teams. The last game the 35-year-old Cmdr. Harvey saw was the opener of last season.
“He was pretty busy after that,” said Mr. Harvey. The commander did stop by at the Harvey home last November, the last time he saw his brother.
Mr. Harvey said he wanted to go to Portsmouth, N. H., when his brother took command of the Thresher in January, but found that he could not take the day off from his school because it was not considered personal business.
It was his first command – a chance the officer had been looking forward to since his days at the Naval Academy where he was a first-string guard on the 1949 Navy eleven.
“He loved the Navy. He could have been out of it many times if he didn't. He was offered plenty of jobs,” said Manning Harvey.
Cmdr. Harvey never had any qualms about submarine duty, his brother said, “You see, they're dedicated people. He wanted submarines badly,” Mr. Harvey said.
In the Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, April 11, 1963, his mother said:
“We never had any qualms about his work,” she said. “It was what he wanted to do. He was always an excellent engineer and a very fine example of young manhood.”
She last saw her son “when he took command of the Thresher at ceremonies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.”
In The Bridgeport Telegram, Connecticut, April 12, 1963, his father “took out a card that stated he took the trip on the Sea Robin. It was dated March 1952. He was named an “honorary submariner.”
“Then, he told how Wes played center on the Frankford high football team, how he was graduated first in his class, and at the age of 17, entered the University of Pennsylvania with a full tuition scholarship.
Harvey said his son wanted to play center at Penn, but there was a young man by the name of Chuck Bednarik ahead of him. Coach George Munger made Wes a guard. Bednarik went on to become an All-America and all-pro in the National Football league.
As a 5-foot-10, 225 pound teenager, Wes played guard in six games for Penn. At the same time he maintained a straight “A” average, majored in electronic engineering, and was elected president of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi.
Wes entered the Academy in 1946, and played guard on the football team for three years. He made the first team, the offense team in his senior year.
The father recalled that his boy was graduated eighth in his class of 696.
“He was a four-striper regimental commander,” he said.”
John's father was a retired Sears and Roebuck appliance salesman who died in Bridgeport in August 1980. John has a memory marker in the US Naval Academy Cemetery.
Photographs
From the USS Thresher Memorial
Related Articles
Neil Armstrong, III '50, Silas Hart, Jr. '50, and James Bowers '50 were also a member of the 22nd Company.
Philip Allen '45, John Billings '50, Robert Krag '50, Michael DiNola '53, Robert Biederman '54, Merrill Collier '56, John Wiley '61, Guy Parsons, Jr. '59, James Henry, Jr. '60, Ronald Babcock '60, and John Grafton '61 were also lost when USS Thresher (SSN 593) sank with all hands on April 10, 1963.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
