Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1945 Lucky Bag:

Henry Nelson Oates

Track 4, 45; Photo Club 3; Model Club 3; Log Staff 1.

Hale and hearty, with a disarming smile that belied those big muscles bulging on his arms, this good-natured southerner made himself famous at the Academy as the man who threw the orange at the Macedonian Monument. Right from the start, Hank was on the short side of the math prof’s little red book, but the only effect on him seemed to be a more determined set to his chin until he came out on the winning side. Around “the Hair” we enjoyed his record collection and his bugle, but he spent so much time writing to his girl that he seldom changed records ’til the needle wore through.

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The Class of 1945 was graduated in June 1944 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Henry was lost on November 24, 1945 when the training plane he was aboard crashed near Dallas, Texas.

Other Information

From “The Town Talk” on November 26, 1945:

Ensign Henry N. Oates, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tyson, 2513 Avenue C. Hillcrest, died at 6 p. m, Saturday from injuries suffered in an airplane accident at Hensley Field, Dallas, Texas, where he was in flight training, his parents were advised yesterday.

Ensign Oates was a graduate of the class of 1940 at Bolton high school, He attended Louisiana State University until the summer of 1941, when he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, He graduated from the academy June 7, 1944.

Serving as radar officer aboard the light cruiser St. Louis, Ensign Oates participated in naval campaigns in the Philippines, Okinawa and Kyushu. In thirteen months of combat duty with the Third Fleet he was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with three campaign stars and the Philippines liberation American theater and American defense medals.

Surviving besides his parents are two brothers, T. N. Oates of Baton Rouge, and Randolph Tyson, now attending the Gulf Coast Military Academy, and a sister, Jeanine Tyson of Alexandria.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Henry graduated from Bolton High School in 1940. “I’d rather make a tetramethyldeamedohengiphenone than eat.” Newcomers Club, ’36; Aeronautical Club, ’38-’39.

Henry and his brother Tommy both made Eagle Scouts in September 1938. Henry received his Naval Academy appointment from Congressman A. Leonard Allen.

He is buried in Louisiana.

Photographs

"M bvember of the 1938 Bolton High School’s “Men With Wings”"

From his 1940 high school yearbook

From "The Town Talk" on November 26, 1945

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Robert Brightman ‘45 and James Reid ‘45 were also in 6th Company.