Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1957 Lucky Bag:

HAROLD LESTER MOONEY, JR.

After serving three years in the Navy as an ET-3, Hal decided to shoot for the top and entered Annapolis via NAPS. A great participator, Hal was a member of a great many activities and played on more than his share of intramural sports teams. Although giving vent to his many and varied talents took a good portion of his time, Hal always seemed to have those few extra minutes in which to write to his O.A.O. Hal could always get a laugh from his numerous friends when he told them of an experience he had as an enlisted man on his first cruise. It seems that our boy stood a “mail buoy” watch before he was finally enlightened by a shipmate!

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Hal was president of the Engineering Club and a member of 7th Company Leadership (winter)

Loss

Harold was lost on August 4, 1969 when the Navy transport aircraft he was aboard crashed in the Andes Mountains.

Other Information

From the December 1969 issue of Shipmate:

LCdr. Harold L. Mooney Jr., USN, died on 4 Aug. as a result of the Navy C-47 aircraft crash in the Andes, which also took the life of his wife Shelby P. Mooney.

Born in New York City, LCdr. Mooney enlisted in the Navy and served three years prior to entering the Naval Academy; he was graduated in June 1957. He assisted in the indoctrination of the class of 1961 at the Academy before duty in the USS JARVIS and a tour at the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego. After attending the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey from 1961 to 1964, he received a Master’s degree in engineering electronics. During this period he also was selected as an engineering duty officer. LCdr. Mooney served at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in the Production Department and attended the Defense Language Institute. In Sept. 1968 he reported to the U. S. Military Group, Navy Section in Talcahuano, Chile.

Survivors include a daughter Sharon and two sons David and Douglas; his parents Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Mooney Sr. and a brother Peter of 38 Hamilton Lane, Darien, Ct. 06820.

From Find A Grave:

He was the son of Harold Lester Mooney, Sr (b 1904 son of William J Mooney and Jennie L Brady) and Lillian M Jones Mooney (b 1906 daughter of William J Jones and Pauline Muller) of Darien, Connecticut. His parents were married 25 December 1930 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. His brother was Peter.

He married Shelby Vaughn Penn 15 June 1957 at Larchmont, New York. They had lived in Darien, Connecticut where Harold’s parents had lived for a time. Together they had three children.

US Navy aircraft C-47 BuNo 17254 disappeared while en route from its home base at El Belloto Naval Air Station near Vina del Mar, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. One intermediate stop had been made at Los Cerrillos Airport, Santiago, Chile, for international clearance. There were four crew members and twelve passengers on board consisting in part of several dependents of US Military, both Navy and Air Force. The flight was en route for scheduled necessary maintenance at Buenos Aires. It is believed that a crash occurred shortly after last contact at 1716 hours 4 August 1969, killing all occupants. It is suspected that weather conditions were the primary cause of the accident. This aircraft and the remains of its crew have never been found and are still missing.

The crew members and passengers were:

• CDR Ralph J Touch, USN, Pilot, from Des Moines IA
• LCDR James P Kuhn, USN, Co-Pilot, from Osage IA
• ATC Joe Fernandez, USN, Radioman, from El Paso TX
• ADRC John T Higgins, USN, Aircraft Mechanic, from Medford MA
• LCDR Harold L Mooney, USN, Passenger, from New York NY
• SSgt Frank A Homer, USAF, Passenger
• TSgt Robert L Paterson, Jr, USAF, Passenger, from PA
• SSgt Ronnie J Ball, USAF, Passenger
• Shelby Penn Mooney, Wife of LCDR Mooney, Passenger
• Elisabeth/Elizabeth Anne Smith, Wife of Capt Floyd E Smith, Passenger
• Norma Ann Heist Touch, Wife of CDR Touch, Passenger
• Carol Tilton, Wife of CDR Robert L Tilton, Passenger
• Claudine Cox Fernandez, Wife of ATC Fernandez, Passenger
• Carol Homer, Wife of SSgt Homer, Passenger
• Esther Zuluaga Paterson, Wife of TSgt Paterson, Passenger
• Norma R Orcutt Ball, Wife of SSgt Ball, Passenger

His wife was aboard the aircraft, also as a passenger.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Harold graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1950. Last will and testament: He leaves behind his dynamite. Question: What will you remember most about high school: “The four students that were trampled to death while running to third lunch in from the library.”

In August 1950, Harold volunteered for active Naval Reserve duty from the Organized Surface Division 3-69.

Harold won competition for admission to the Naval Academy in May 1963. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy Preparatory School in Bainbridge and attended the U. S. N. Electronic Technician School in Great Lakes, Illinois.

In May 1965, Harold spoke on oceanography and presented the Navy’s newest motion picture, “Sea Power” at the Jersey Cape Council of the Navy League in Stone Harbor.

In November 1966, Harold discussed the composition of oceans and the reclamation of chemicals and minerals on the television station program “Ocean Wealth” on WHYY, Channel 12, New Rochelle. He was a naval tactical data system project officer at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. He had lectured on oceanology on a series of 14 radio programs sponsored by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Harold was presently working on his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania.

Photographs

From his 1950 high school yearbook

"New shoulder boards indicating his new rank of lieutenant commander are attached to the uniform of Harold L. Mooney, USN, by his wife, the former Shelby V. Penn of Larchmont and Philadelphia Naval Shipment commander, Rear Adm. James J. Stillwell." From The Daily Times on June 16, 1966.

Note

He was listed as a LCDR in press reports, but is a CDR in Memorial Hall. Assuming posthumous promotion.