Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1970 Lucky Bag:

CLAUDE WAYNE CONNER

Claude came to the Academy from Albuquerque, New Mexico, the land of enchantment. An average student, Clunky, as he is known to his friends, found that he was also only average in athletics. After spending a year on the Navy Crew, he found he was more suited to intramural activities. Deciding on obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Claude started his academic career at the University of New Mexico before coming to the shores of the Severn. Having been an “Army Brat” for most of his life, Claude is looking forward to graduation and is interested in Marine Corps Aviation as a service selection. His future plans also include a young lady he has known since his pre-Academy days at UNM. Why not Navy Line? He doesn’t like dramamine.

Loss

Claude was lost on December 16, 1971 when the aircraft he was piloting crashed near Pensacola, Florida.

Other Information

From the Albuquerque Journal, December 19, 1971 (via John Calkins ‘70 and Mike Novak ‘70):

Air Crash Kills Former Resident
Submitted by Pensacola, Fla. – Marine 1st Lt. Claude W. Conner, 21, formerly of Albuquerque, died Thursday in an aircraft accident here.

Lt. Conner was a 1970 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and attended the University of New Mexico one year before going to the academy.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Cheryl Conner of the home in Pensacola, Fla., his parents Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd W. Conner; a sister, Mrs. Catherine O’Neal, and a brother, David G. Conner, all of Albuquerque; his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Rutstein, of Rochester, New Hampshire.

Services will be held from Chapel No. 2, Kirtland AFB, Thursday morning at 11 a.m. with Navy Chaplain John R. Hershberger officiating. Interment will be in Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The instructor pilot, LT Carl D. St. John, was also killed in the crash.

He is buried in New Mexico.

Shipmate

From the April 1972 issue (via Mike Novak ’70):

1/Lt. Claude Wayne Conner, USMC, was killed in an aircraft accident at Whiting Field in Milton, Fl., on 16 December. It was his last scheduled flight. His instructor was killed also.

Born in Maryland, he attended U. of New Mexico for a year before entering the Naval Academy. After graduation in 1970, he went to the Marine Corps Basic School in Quantico, Va. He then was assigned to NAS Pensacola, for flight training. At the time of his death he was attached to VT-2 at NAS Whiting Field, Milton, Fl. Lt Conner was to have reported to Ellison Field after Christmas leave.

Surviving are his widow, Janice [Cheryl Conner], of Albuquerque, NM, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Conner, also of Albuquerque.

Photographs

From the April 1972 issue of _Shipmate_

Related Articles

Melvin Brown ‘70 was also in 30th Company.