RICHARD A. MERGL, LT, USN
Richard Mergl '49
Lucky Bag
From the 1949 Lucky Bag:
Richard Mergl
North Miami, Florida
Entering at the tender age of 17, Dick was a younger member of the class, whose beardless face never let his classmates forget that one inferiority. A regional accent unmistakably from Long Island revealed his native state; a short residence in Florida, however, convinced him that he would eventually settle down in rebel territory. Confining his activities to sports he expected to use in later years, he could be found either on the golf course, tennis courts, bowling alleys, or in the swimming pool, enjoying his free time to the fullest. Quiet and rather unassuming during Plebe Summer, he soon learned that these qualities were unproductive in a Naval career and exchanged them for an ever-ready smile and friendship winning manner.
Richard Mergl
North Miami, Florida
Entering at the tender age of 17, Dick was a younger member of the class, whose beardless face never let his classmates forget that one inferiority. A regional accent unmistakably from Long Island revealed his native state; a short residence in Florida, however, convinced him that he would eventually settle down in rebel territory. Confining his activities to sports he expected to use in later years, he could be found either on the golf course, tennis courts, bowling alleys, or in the swimming pool, enjoying his free time to the fullest. Quiet and rather unassuming during Plebe Summer, he soon learned that these qualities were unproductive in a Naval career and exchanged them for an ever-ready smile and friendship winning manner.
Loss
Richard was lost on April 22, 1959 when the A-3 Skywarrior he was aboard crashed into Lake George, Florida.
Other Information
From an entry at VP Navy:
My father, LCDR Richard Anton Mergl, and four other military personnel were killed while performing a bombing training mission over Lake George in the town of Seville Florida Volusia county. He was attached to heavy attack squadron VAH-7 at NAS Sanford, Florida April 22, 1958. I would love to find a VAH-7 patch and a model A 3D Skywarrior. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1949. Could anyone help me gather more information. My grandson wants to go to the Naval Academy. Deborah Mergl Johnstone, Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 at 3:20 pm.
From the Skywarrior Guest Book:
Hello, my name is Richard Anton Mergl Jr., my father is Lt. Richard Anton Mergl Sr. When I was 2 yrs. old he and four other military personnel were killed while performing a bombing training mission over Lake George in the town of Seville Florida Volusia county. He was attached to heavy attack squadron VAH-7 of NAS Sanford Florida. They were all were presumed dead, the A-3D crashed into 8ft of water. Lt Cmdr. Weigles was the pilot flying that day. When I was old enough to understand what happened to my daddy my mommy was to sick to explain anything to me, she past away when I was 15yrs old. Just recently I made a trip to Lake George and Sanford even Jacksonville hoping to find something about my father and his crash. The only thing I found was 3 articles in the Sanford Herald at the Sanford Museum. I couldn't even print them because they had no printer for microfish. I only found 3 articles on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. And found nothing in the paper about bodies or plane parts being taken out of the water. All it said was a recovery team was sent from Jacksonville NAS. and that he crashed 5 miles east of Seville. That's a whole lot of plane for nothing to have come out of the water when the recovery team went out. I went to records and vital statistics and there is no death certificate. He crashed April 22nd 1959, anyone if you can please help me. Richard Anton Mergl, Jr., October 21, 2008 at 7:10 pm
In response:
i was attached to vah 7 at the time of this accident, and i know that almost all of this aircraft was recovered and roughly reassembled in a hanger at nas sanford. i also recall that some body parts were recovered, but i don`t know this as a fact. i recall this wreckage in the hanger and i remember it was hard to believe how badly this aircraft was destroyed. but as i remember only four people were aboard this aircraft!!the only name i recall is lt. cdr weigel an extremely safety concerned pilot, although i think this accident was ruled as pilot error. lake george was drug for days after this accident. they were preforming a loft bombing maneuver when this happened, i hope this was informative… John Wardlaw, October 26, 2009 at 1:52 am
On the Skywarrior Lost in Line of Duty List, the accident date is listed as 4/22/1959. The pilot is listed as LCDR Howard L. Weigle — not "Weigles" as cited above — and there were four total casualties, not four + Richard. (Other two were AMH2 Rodney Des Roslers and AT3 Richard W. Jones.)
From researcher Kathy Franz:
In August 1950, Richard qualified as an aircraft carrier pilot aboard the carrier USS Wright, cruising in the Gulf of Mexico. On December 15, he received his wings. In August 1952 he was an F9F Panther jet fighter pilot who completed a tour of duty on the aircraft carrier Philippine Sea.
In his fatal crash, Richard was the bombardier-navigator. All four men were trapped inside the plane that was in 8-10 feet of water near Seville, Florida. It could be seen from the air.
His parents were Anton, a NYC policeman, mother Caroline, sister Caroline “Lynn,” and grandmother Marie.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Photographs
Related Articles
Howard Weigle '46 was also lost in this crash.
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