Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1946 Lucky Bag:

Lewis Warner Adkins, Jr.

The son of a Naval officer, Lew came to the Academy with a knowledge—as the plebes can testify—and love of the service and the sea. Conscientious and filled with a determination which became even more intense as exam weeks approached, he could be depended on to do a job right. Taut sails and many hours on the soccer field occupied his free time. Just as Lew was still game after the smoke had cleared from his room at the end of study hour, when the smoke of battle is blown away, he will be there waiting for the next round.

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The Class of 1946 was graduated in June 1945 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

Lewis was lost on February 2, 1955 when the F9F Cougar fighter he was piloting crashed near Otay Mesa, California.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In June 1929, Lewis traveled with his parents Lewis and Margaret from Manila to San Francisco. In 1930, his father was stationed at the Navy Yard in Woodbury, New Jersey. In 1935, they were in Mare Island, and in 1940, they were in Long Beach where his father was chief warrant officer on the USS Tennessee.

Lewis attended Rutherford Preparatory School before being appointed to the Naval Academy.

He received his flight training at Pensacola and was designated a naval aviator in October 1949. He was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he received a course of instruction in guided missile operations. He then reported for duty aboard the naval air missile test center at Point Mugu in December 1952.

“Lew was attached to GMU [Guided Missile Unit] 52 at NAAS Brown Field, Chula Vista… He is survived by his widow, Lois, and two daughters, Lynn, age 7, and Gary, age 2.” (Information from March 1955 issue of Shipmate.)

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

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Franklin Smith, Jr. ‘46 and John Metschl ‘46 were also members of 20th Company.