ROBIN B. CASSELL, LTJG, USN
Robin Cassell '64
Lucky Bag
From the 1964 Lucky Bag:
ROBIN BERN CASSELL
Fort Huachuca, Arizona
"Robin"
15th Company
Robin calls Arizona his home, but he has lived in Europe and Japan, as well as many places in the U. S. At the Academy, he participated in Plebe gym and various intramural sports including football, wrestling and track. He took a keen interest in the summer programs offered and spent his Youngster year Summer leave at Fort Benning Jump School and his Second Class summer at Key West attending Scuba School. Certainly his quiet and friendly manner made many lasting friendships for him and his willingness to assist proved that his generosity was far reaching. After graduation, Robin will join the ranks of the "Semper Fi" with aspirations towards either Marine Air or Recon.
ROBIN BERN CASSELL
Fort Huachuca, Arizona
"Robin"
15th Company
Robin calls Arizona his home, but he has lived in Europe and Japan, as well as many places in the U. S. At the Academy, he participated in Plebe gym and various intramural sports including football, wrestling and track. He took a keen interest in the summer programs offered and spent his Youngster year Summer leave at Fort Benning Jump School and his Second Class summer at Key West attending Scuba School. Certainly his quiet and friendly manner made many lasting friendships for him and his willingness to assist proved that his generosity was far reaching. After graduation, Robin will join the ranks of the "Semper Fi" with aspirations towards either Marine Air or Recon.
Loss
From the November 1967 issue of Shipmate:
Lt.(jg) Robin B. Cassell, USN, was killed on 15 July when his plane was shot down while on a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. He was serving with Attack Squadron 152 in USS ORISKANY. Memorial services were held in the Naval Air Station, Alameda, Calif.
Lt. Cassell had survived a disastrous fire on board the carrier last October; this was the first war action involving the carrier after being repaired. Born in Little Rock, Ark., he was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1954, then served in the plebe summer program at the Academy. He received flight training at Pensacola and Corpus Christi, and was designated a naval aviator in April 1966. He reported to the Naval Air Station, Lemoore, for further training in the A-1 Skyraider, then joined VA-152 in the ORISKANY. He deployed again for West Pacific service in June.
He was awarded the Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal for heroic achievement during aerial flights in North Vietnam, and was entitled to the Navy Unit Citation. He was a qualified scuba diver, having graduated from the Navy Underwater Swimmers School at Key West, Fla., and had earned his jump wings after completing the Airborne Parachutist School at Ft. Benning, Ga.
Surviving are his widow, Sandra Myers Cassell of 2544 Franklin Ave., Union City, Ca. 94587; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Donald B. Cassell of 2712 Fairbrook Dr., Mountainview, Ca. 94040; two brothers and a sister, Tim, Jon and April Cassell; and his grandparents, Mrs. William Oilman of Los Angeles, and Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Cassell of Saratoga.
He has a memory marker in California.
From POW Network:
Lieutenant Junior Grade Robin B. Cassell was a Navy pilot assigned to Attack Squadron 152 onboard the aircraft carrier USS ORISKANY. On July 15, 1967 he launched in his A1H Skyraider aircraft as the fight leader of a section of A1H's on a daytime armed coastal reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam.
During the mission, Cassell's aircraft was seen to be hit by automatic weapons fire during an attack on water craft near Cua Dai, North Vietnam. (This is in the approximate region of the city of Thanh Hoa.) Cassel radioed, "I'm hit" and shortly thereafter crashed into the sea and exploded on impact. No parachute was seen, and search and rescue efforts turned up negative results.
Related Articles
Terry Smith '64 was also in 15th 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.
