VIRTUAL MEMORIAL HALL

USNA 17th Company

49 Alumni

The company is the most important unit in the Brigade of Midshipmen. Companies eat, sleep, study, drill, and compete together. Comprised of roughly 30-35 midshipmen from each of all four classes, they are led by 1/c Midshipmen. There are currently 36 companies in the Brigade, though there were only eight in the late 1920s before expanding to 36 from the late 1940s to the late 1990s, and then back to 30 until the 2025-2026 academic year.

Some classes are in the same company for all four years, but this too has varied. Some classes are "shotgunned" (all midshipmen in a class, usually following plebe year, are moved randomly to a different company), while others are "shuffled" (again usually following plebe year, an entire group would move from one company to another). Even though many alumni were a part of more than one company during their four years at the Naval Academy, the list below is reflective of the company from which they graduated.

1LT ALAN P. LEWIS, USAF

Alan Lewis

Class of 1955
1st Lieutenant | US Air Force
November 4, 1960 (27 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
1LT ROBERT D. STROUSE, USMC

Robert Strouse

Class of 1968
1st Lieutenant | US Marine Corps
September 11, 1971 (26 years old)
Operational loss Marine Training Squadron (VMT) 103 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
CAPT FRANKLIN R. HOOKS, II, USMC

Franklin Hooks II

Class of 1997
Captain | US Marine Corps
June 27, 2004 (32 years old)
Operational loss Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 115 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
CAPT JOHN L. FOY, USAF

John Foy

Class of 1953
Captain | US Air Force
April 19, 1962 (31 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
CAPT STERLING K. COATES, USMC

Sterling Coates

Class of 1961
Captain | US Marine Corps
July 2, 1967 (29 years old)
KIA 1st Battalion, 9th Marines Vietnam Ground USNA 17th Company
CAPT WALTER J. STEWART, III, USAF

Walter Stewart, III

Class of 1955
Captain | US Air Force
September 22, 1963 (31 years old)
Operational loss 1st Air Transport Squadron Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
CAPT WILLIAM C. MCCOOL, USN

William McCool

Class of 1983
Captain | US Navy
February 1, 2003 (41 years old)
Operational loss Space Congressional Space Medal of Honor NASA Space Flight Medal NASA Distinguished Service Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal NASA USNA 17th Company
CDR RONALD G. HAUGEN, USN

Ronald Haugen

Class of 1962
Commander | US Navy
May 29, 1980 (41 years old)
Operational loss Pacific Missile Test Center Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
COL ROBERT N. SMITH, USMC

Robert Smith

Class of 1948
Colonel | US Marine Corps
August 19, 1969 (42 years old)
KIA Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542 Vietnam Fixed Wing MIA USNA 17th Company
LCDR BENNETT W. HOOKS, USN

Bennett Hooks

Class of 1946
Lieutenant Commander | US Navy
October 10, 1956 (32 years old)
Operational loss Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 5 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LCDR THOMAS A. EADES, USN

Thomas Eades

Class of 1957
Lieutenant Commander | US Navy
April 29, 1965 (30 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT ALEXANDER G. MCEWEN, USN

Alexander McEwen

Class of 1943
Lieutenant | US Navy
April 2, 1945 (24 years old)
KIA Pacific Okinawa USS Dickerson (APD 21) WWII Ship Kamikaze USNA 17th Company
LT CHARLES O. GLISSON, JR., USN

Charles Glisson, Jr.

Class of 1947
Lieutenant | US Navy
November 1, 1952 (27 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 721 Korea Fixed Wing Distinguished Flying Cross KIA-combat flight USNA 17th Company
LT DAVID K. MCCULLOUGH, USN

David McCullough

Class of 1979
Lieutenant | US Navy
September 30, 1983 (26 years old)
Operational loss Attack Squadron (VA) 34 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT EDWARD P. SUPANCIC, USN

Edward Supancic

Class of 1948
Lieutenant | US Navy
August 4, 1955 (30 years old)
Operational loss Advanced Training Unit (ATU) 402 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT GEORGE F. MORROW, USN

George Morrow

Class of 1952
Lieutenant | US Navy
May 12, 1959 (29 years old)
Operational loss Advanced Training Unit (ATU) 611 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT JAMES L. ROBERTS, USN

James Roberts

Class of 1964
Lieutenant | US Navy
April 27, 1968 (25 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 142 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT JAMES R. BROWN, USN

James Brown

Class of 1967
Lieutenant | US Navy
March 4, 1970 (26 years old)
Operational loss Training Squadron (VT) 24 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT JOHN C. SWEET, USN

John Sweet

Class of 1964
Lieutenant | US Navy
May 22, 1968 (25 years old)
Operational loss USS Scorpion (SSN 589) Submarine USNA 17th Company
LT LAUGHTON D. SMITH, USN

Laughton Smith

Class of 1965
Lieutenant | US Navy
May 22, 1968 (26 years old)
Operational loss USS Scorpion (SSN 589) Submarine USNA 17th Company
LT MARK A. PRUSINSKI, USN

Mark Prusinski

Class of 1984
Lieutenant | US Navy
March 28, 1990 (28 years old)
Operational loss NAF China Lake Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT MELVIN G. SHIMER, USN

Melvin Shimer

Class of 1951
Lieutenant | US Navy
September 18, 1958 (31 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT MYRON B. SUTTON, USN

Myron Sutton

Class of 1944
Lieutenant | US Navy
September 17, 1946 (25 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT NORMAN L. WILKY, USN

Norman Wilky

Class of 1944
Lieutenant | US Navy
February 4, 1948 (26 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT ORVILLE C. EVERHART, JR., USN

Orville Everhart, Jr.

Class of 1945
Lieutenant | US Navy
January 28, 1953 (32 years old)
Operational loss Fleet Air Wing (FAW) 6 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT PFAEFFLE SIMPSON, JR., USN

Pfaeffle Simpson, Jr.

Class of 1944
Lieutenant | US Navy
May 6, 1946 (24 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT RAUL D. JIMENEZ, USN

Raul Jimenez

Class of 1998
Lieutenant | US Navy
January 27, 2006 (31 years old)
Operational loss Training Squadron (VT) 27 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT ROBERT Z. CORNWELL, USN

Robert Cornwell

Class of 1952
Lieutenant | US Navy
March 19, 1959 (32 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT VALERIE C. DELANEY, USN

Valerie Delaney

Class of 2009
Lieutenant | US Navy
March 11, 2013 (26 years old)
Operational loss Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 Fixed Wing Woman USNA 17th Company
LT WALTER C. BLEKICKI, USN

Walter Blekicki

Class of 1966
Lieutenant | US Navy
December 14, 1973 (32 years old)
Operational loss Attack Squadron (VA) 153 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT WALTER D. RUPERT, JR., USN

Walter Rupert, Jr.

Class of 1943
Lieutenant | US Navy
May 28, 1945 (24 years old)
KIA Pacific Okinawa USS Drexler (DD 741) WWII Ship Kamikaze USNA 17th Company
LT WILLIAM D. BLANTON, JR., USN

William Blanton, Jr.

Class of 1972
Lieutenant | US Navy
November 2, 1978 (28 years old)
Operational loss Air Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 37 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT WILLIAM F. ARMSTRONG, JR., USN

William Armstrong, Jr.

Class of 1946
Lieutenant | US Navy
May 23, 1956 (31 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 191 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT WILLIAM M. KNAPP, USN

William Knapp

Class of 1943
Lieutenant | US Navy
June 18, 1947 (26 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LT WILLIAM R. AUSTIN, USN

William Austin

Class of 1946
Lieutenant | US Navy
July 23, 1953 (31 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 43 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTCOL BRETT M. BEKKEN, USMCR

Brett Bekken

Class of 1989
Lieutenant Colonel | US Marine Corps Reserve
April 21, 2004 (36 years old)
Operational loss Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 112 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTCOL JOSEPH F. MUDD, USAF

Joseph Mudd

Class of 1954
Lieutenant Colonel | US Air Force
October 22, 1973 (41 years old)
Operational loss 41st Rescue and Recovery Wing Helicopter Distinguished Flying Cross USNA 17th Company
LTJG EDWARD H. TANDY, JR., USN

Edward Tandy, Jr.

Class of 1954
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
May 29, 1956 (24 years old)
Operational loss Composite Squadron (VC) 3 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG GERALD W. SIEBE, USN

Gerald Siebe

Class of 1964
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
October 26, 1966 (25 years old)
Operational loss USS Oriskany (CVA 34) Helicopter Support Squadron (HC) 1 Vietnam Ship USNA 17th Company
LTJG JAMES J. JOSLIN, USN

James Joslin

Class of 1953
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
August 15, 1955 (24 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG JOHN W. SMITH, JR., USN

John Smith, Jr.

Class of 1977
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
December 8, 1979 (25 years old)
Operational loss Air Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 30 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG PAUL S. FORMAN, USN

Paul Forman

Class of 1963
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
August 24, 1965 (24 years old)
Operational loss Attack Squadron (VA) 44 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG PERCY W. WILLIAMS, JR., USN

Percy Williams, Jr.

Class of 1955
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
February 21, 1959 (26 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 33 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG ROBERT C. SMITH, USN

Robert Smith

Class of 1960
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
July 10, 1962 (25 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 174 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG STEPHEN A. DOBBINS, USN

Stephen Dobbins

Class of 1949
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
August 8, 1952 (26 years old)
Operational loss Patrol Squadron (VP) 892 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG THOMAS A. RYAN, USN

Thomas Ryan

Class of 1959
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
May 16, 1961 (23 years old)
Operational loss Fighter Squadron (VF) 121 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG WILLIAM G. HEARNE, USN

William Hearne

Class of 1947
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
July 14, 1950 (25 years old)
Operational loss Patrol Squadron (VP) 23 Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
LTJG WILLIAM R. SMITH, USN

William Smith

Class of 1956
Lieutenant (j.g.) | US Navy
December 6, 1957 (23 years old)
Operational loss Fixed Wing USNA 17th Company
MAJ HOWARD V. ANDRE, JR., USAF

Howard Andre, Jr.

Class of 1957
Major | US Air Force
July 8, 1969 (34 years old)
KIA 609th Special Operations Squadron Vietnam Fixed Wing Distinguished Flying Cross USNA 17th Company