Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1944 Lucky Bag:

Francis Joseph Suhre

Frenchy was forever getting sand in his shoes. It was rumored that he played soccer with so much ease because he could run along at full tilt and, without stooping, clip his opponents behind the knees with his shoulders. This small and mighty lad spoke staccato French to the constant joy and occasional disconcertion of the “Dago” professors. Born in Haiti and brought up in France, Francis called our English course his foreign language; but he almost lost his Le Havre accent at the Academy. Often, in the midst of wild and stormy discussions, he emerged on top because, when the air became blue and bitterly agitated, he could laugh.

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The Class of 1944 was graduated in June 1943 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Francis was lost on November 27, 1959 when the A3D Skyraider he was piloting became lost and crashed at sea near Wake Island. His three other crewmen were also lost. They were assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Francis was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 1935, he lived in Le Havre, France; and in 1938, he traveled to 2535 E. Biddle Street, Baltimore, where his father lived. In April 1940, he was a naval fireman at Norfolk; and in 1945, he lived in New Warrington, Florida.

Francis married Mary Alsa Thomas on June 9, 1943, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Baltimore. They had four children, Anne Monique, Francis Barton, Robert Louis, and David Thomas.

His sister was Odile. In October 1938, she traveled from Le Havre to 817 Shirley Ave., Norfolk.  In 1940, she came to New York City from Trujillo City, D. R. (Peru), with final destination of 507 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore. Her mother Clothilde, who was born in France, was divorced and managed a rooming house in Baltimore. Odile married Ralph Zientek, and she died on December 19, 2007 in Amarillo, Texas. Her mother died in 1977 and is also buried in Amarillo.

Francis and Odile’s father was Sylvester I. Suhre who was a gunnery sergeant in the Marines Corp in Port-au-Prince in 1915. He stayed in the Marine Corps through February, 1920. He was still living at 2535 E. Biddle Street when he died on March 5, 1957.

He was a member of the Sixth Fleet Staff embarked aboard USS Newport News (CA 148) for that ship’s 1952 Mediterranean cruise.

He appears in the Navy Sports Hall of Fame for soccer.

Francis was survived by his wife, Mary, and their children.