Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1962 Lucky Bag:

Peter John Nelson

One of our good ‘jet jockeys’ of the future could well be Pete Nelson, who hailed from Westbrook, Minnesota. Flying jets will be quite a switch for Pete, for, until he hit Canoe U., he had never gotten any higher than his horse, Diamond Lady, could jump. Now Pete has taken up varsity wrestling, battalion football, and is determined to use the ice skates he keeps on top of his locker. Although quiet and girl-shy when he entered Canoe U., Pete soon became an ardent participant in the “Flying Squadron” during most weekends. Pete never starred, but he always managed to come up with the rent when the academic departments called for it. Not giving up easily, Pete will be a welcome addition to Navy Air on graduation.

Loss

Peter died on February 27, 1970 of injuries sustained in a helicopter crash at Ellyson Field, Pensacola, on February 19th. The other four men aboard were also killed.

Other Information

From the May 1970 issue of Shipmate:

Lt. Nelson was born in Windom, Mn., and graduated from the Naval Academy with the class of 1962. He spent three years after graduation at the Naval Air Base at Pensacola, Fl., where he became a helicopter pilot. He logged over 1000 hours of combat flying in a year’s tour of duty in Vietnam and was decorated by the Navy for his service in the war. Lt. Nelson returned to Pensacola as helicopter instructor after this tour of duty, and it was on a student flight that the accident occurred which caused his death.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Emily Nelson of Westbrook, Mn.; two sisters; and three brothers.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Peter graduated from Westbrook high school in 1958. He participated in football, track, gymnastics, speech, band and chorus. His brother Howard, who also attended the Naval Academy, graduated from high school in 1961. He was involved in football, wrestling, cross country, track, and chorus.

Peter was nominated to the Air Force Academy by Senator Humphrey in January 1958.

In January 1967, Peter spent 39 hours in the frigid Atlantic when his helicopter went down. The crew had just flown a patient from the command ship USS Taconic (LCC 17) to the Marine Hospital at Camp Lejeune. Peter said “It looked like something from heaven, that spotter plane. We had a miserable time of it. . . . We were flying back to the ship when we had a malfunction. We turned back toward the coast, but we ran out of gas. The ditching was normal, according to standard planned procedure. When we hit, the plane remained gently upright until the rotors finally stopped turning, and we made our escape.” Two of the crew died in the accident.

Pete is buried in Minnesota.

Photographs

From the May 1970 issue of Shipmate.

“Howard comes to attention when his brother Peter (on left) enters a Naval Academy room.” From The Winona Daily News on December 31, 1961.

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