Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1972 Lucky Bag:

SHELDON JAY NORRIS

A true hulk of a man, Shelly, as he came to be known, made his appearance on the first day of Plebe summer, long hair. Long Island accent and all. For the rest of the summer he was almost a phantom, known only to those who ran some of the innumerable hours of E.D. he accumulated with him. After Plebe year participation in football and lacrosse Shelly became a permanent fixture in the weight room. All his work paid off and he managed 4.00’s on several A.S. and mile run tests while fighting a constant battle with the Academic Dept. to keep his head above water. Despite changing his major from Aero to Political Science, he still hopes to fly (maybe in Marine green, rather than Navy blue) wherever he goes. Shelly’s cheerfulness, sincerely and loyalty are sure to leave an impression as big as the man himself.

Loss

Sheldon was lost on March 27, 1974 when the TA-4 Skyhawk jet he was piloting crashed approximately 30 miles southeast of Yuma. He was a student pilot with Training Squadron (VT) 24.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Voted Most Ambitious at Plainedge High School in 1968. Football 1, 2, 3, 4, Basketball 1, 2, Baseball 1, Indoor Track 3, 4, Track 2, 3, 4, Phys. Fitness 2, 3, 4, Varsity Club 3, 4, National Honor Society 3, 4, German Club 3, Hall Patrol 4.

From the September 1974 issue of Shipmate:

2nd Lt. Sheldon Jay Norris, USMC, died on 27 March when his TA-4J Skyhawk jet crashed during a training mission near Yuma, Ariz. Interment was in the National Cemetery in Farmingdale, L.I., N.Y.

A native of New York, Lt. Norris graduated from Plainedge High School in North Massapequa. While a Midshipman, he was active in football, lacrosse, and the flying club. Upon graduation with a B.S. degree in political science, Lt. Norris was commissioned in the Marine Corps and assigned to The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia and subsequently to flight training at Pensacola, Fla. He was transferred to Training Squadron 24 at Beeville, Tex., in July, 1973 and was attached to that command at the time of his death.

Lt. Norris holds the National Defense Service Medal and has been posthumously designated a Naval Aviator. He has also been awarded the Marine Corps expert rifle and pistol badges.

Lt. Norris is survived by his widow, Suzanne, 10 Lincoln St., Farmingdale, NY 11733.

Sheldon is buried in New York.

Photographs

From his high school yearbook