RICHARD A. MARTINELLI, MIDN, USN
Richard Martinelli '50
Lucky Bag
From the 1950 Lucky Bag:
RICHARD ALFRED MARTINELLI
Westmont, New Jersey
Another one of the men without a Congressman, Dick entered the Academy by his Navy Boot Straps through competitive examination. Well known during high school and in college at Drexel for his scholastic ability, he had more than continued the same pattern here at Navy. Athletics, radio announcing, a crisp Jersey accent, an ever present smile, and an unending supply of amusing observations were only a few more of his interests. Constantly singing, his presence was always announced by a rich baritone voice and clever impersonation. Dick had the kind of personality that eventually would have led to prominence in any career.
Richard is listed with "Those We Left Behind;" he also has a two-page spread in the Lucky Bag. His picture appears on the left under a script "In Memoriam" and above his rank, name, and dates of birth and death. The text above is on the facing page.
RICHARD ALFRED MARTINELLI
Westmont, New Jersey
Another one of the men without a Congressman, Dick entered the Academy by his Navy Boot Straps through competitive examination. Well known during high school and in college at Drexel for his scholastic ability, he had more than continued the same pattern here at Navy. Athletics, radio announcing, a crisp Jersey accent, an ever present smile, and an unending supply of amusing observations were only a few more of his interests. Constantly singing, his presence was always announced by a rich baritone voice and clever impersonation. Dick had the kind of personality that eventually would have led to prominence in any career.
Richard is listed with "Those We Left Behind;" he also has a two-page spread in the Lucky Bag. His picture appears on the left under a script "In Memoriam" and above his rank, name, and dates of birth and death. The text above is on the facing page.
Loss
Richard was lost in an accident aboard USS Missouri (BB 63) while operating near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was "pinned under a range finder during battle practice."
Other Information
From The Central New Jersey Home News, 20 Jul 1949: “During the present cruise to England, young Martinelli wrote several radio scripts that were used for midshipman broadcasts over the B. B. C. networks and beamed to America.”
From The Capital newspaper on July 21, 1949:
Martinelli enlisted in the Navy in 1945 after a year at Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia. He was a seaman, first class, when he received an appointment to the academy from the secretary of the Navy.
Friends said he was one of the best students in his class. He ranked fifth after his plebe year and 11th after his third class year.
Martinelli left Annapolis with more than 800 other first and third classmen on June 4 for Portsmouth, England. The Missouri and other vessels in the squadron cruised into Guantanamo harbor July 8 and was due to leave yesterday to Hampton Roads, Va.
Memorial services were conducted by chaplain Commander Emil F. Redman aboard the Missouri that afternoon. Shipmates of the midshipman joined in … to supplement the scripture reading and band music.
Six of Martinelli’s closest friends at the Academy will be chosen to escort the remains from Norfolk, Va., to Westmont and act as pallbearers at the funeral. The commandant of the 4th Naval District Philadelphia will be in charge of other military honors at the services.
Martinelli would have been editor of the trident calendar this year. Besides his academic accomplishments, he won awards in gymnastic and golf.
From researcher Kathy Franz: "He graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School in 1944. In his junior year, he was a reporter for the “Haddon Higher” newspaper."
Richard is buried in New Jersey.
Richard is one of 37 members of the Class of 1950 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
