Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1948 Lucky Bag:

Gordon "H." Farmer

An ex-carpenter’s mate in Torpron 3 aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in the early months of the war, Gordon continued as an able sailor at the Academy aboard the “yatch” Freedom. He was also plenty active in crew and on the soccer team. And being a man of varied and numerous talents, he was an expert craftsman and officer in the Model Club and an all-around handy man with a pair of pliers or a pencil. He was often wielding his pencil on some cross-word puzzle. But the highlight of his Academy career was a double ring ceremony that June Week at the Ring Dance.

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Gordon was on the crew team. He graduated with the class of 1948-A, the last of the wartime-accelerated classes, in June 1947. (The bottom half of the class by academic standing, designated 1948-B, completed an extra year and graduated in June 1948.)

Loss

Gordon was lost on March 6, 1954 when the airplane he was piloting crashed near USS Essex (CVA 9) while operating in the Pacific Ocean. He was most likely a member of Fighter Squadron (VF) 23.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Gordon graduated from Alhambra High School in January 1942. He had already enlisted on June 23, 1941, so he received his diploma by proxy.

He won war decorations while serving as an enlisted man aboard the Enterprise and Saratoga. Service #3824784. He was first stationed in Pearl Harbor and was discharged in June 1943 as a CM3c to attend the Naval Academy.

He married the day he graduated from the Naval Academy, June 1947.

The 1953-1954 USS Essex (CVA-9) cruise book was dedicated to Gordon and nine others who died that year. On February 21, the Essex received orders to proceed to Subic Bay, P. I. for fair weather operations for six weeks. Then for five days, the Essex conducted flight operations in the South China Sea, then sailed for Hong Kong Harbor arriving on March 8. (page 88.)

In 1940 his father was Lyle George, salesman for a food manufacturer, mother Harriet Wilma, proprietor of a cosmetics store, and sister Marilyn. His father was a sergeant in the U.S. Army in WWI and WWII.

He was survived by his wife, Rita, and son. (Information from May 1954 issue of Shipmate.) Gordon’s Find A Grave page is here.

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