Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1962 Lucky Bag:

Richard Warren Hastings

Dick hailed from Lomita, California. Like most Navy juniors, Dick went to more schools than he could count. He graduated from high school in Youngstown, Ohio and returned to Lomita just before going to the Academy. While at Canoe U., Dick always loved sports. He had a great interest in aviation and read anything and everything about the subject that he could get his hands on. He took an active part in the Aeronautical Engineering Club and was program director during his second class year. With his interest in aviation, Dick will be a great asset to Navy Air.

Loss

Richard died on May 14, 1966 aboard the hospital ship USS Repose (AH 16) of injuries sustained when an aircraft struck the ramp of USS Ticonderoga (CV 14) on April 14. Ticonderoga was operating off the coast of Vietnam at the time, though it was one of her final days on station before she began the voyage home to San Diego. He was a member of Fighter Squadron (VF) 51.

Other Information

From the Class of 1962:

Lt. Hastings was born in Vallejo, Calif., and was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1962. He was designated a naval aviator in 1963, and then reported to VF-124, San Diego, for training in the F-8. In March 1964 he joined VF-51, making two Far East cruises in the Ticonderoga: he had recently completed training as a landing signal officer. Among his awards were the Navy Commendation Medal and the Expeditionary Medal.

He is survived by his widow, the former Violet Edythe Olson, of 1213 Falster Court, Alexandria, Va.; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Hastings; a sister, Susan Gail, and his grandmother, Mrs. Marion Carstensen, all of Lomita, Calif.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In the summer of 1960, Richard completed two weeks of amphibious warfare training at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Virginia. He then completed a three-week cruise at the Naval Air Basic Training Command in Pensacola.

In the summer of 1961, Richard was assigned to the destroyer USS Douglas H. Fox for a training cruise.

In December, Richard spoke at several events as part of “Operation Information” designed to tell the Naval Academy story. Events were held at Lomita Kiwanis Club, San Pedro Kiwanis Club, Harbor College, Narbonne High School, and South High School.

In November, 1962, Richard made his first solo flight at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola. In June, 1963, he was undergoing flight training with Training Squadron 22 at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Kingsville.

In June, 1966, the newspaper reported that Richard had been presented four Gold Stars and a Silver Star in lieu of his 3rd through 7th Air Medals for “exceptional performance of duty” aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga.

He is buried in California.

Photographs

Posted by Linda Hastings Source

Photo uploaded by Linda Hastings: “MIRIAM HASTINGS HOUSEWORTH NOTES: DAD (ELMER) AND MOM (ALICE) VISITED HAROLD AND EVA IN NORTHERN OHIO, WHERE HAROLD’S NAVY ASSIGNMENT WAS. ALSO PICTURED ARE THEIR CHILDREN, SUSAN AND RICHARD. THE LATTER GRADUATED FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND BECAME AS VIETNAM WAR CASUALTY. (date on photo border is AUG ‘57)” Source

From the 1964 USS Ticonderoga cruise book Source

From the 1965-1966 USS Ticonderoga cruise book Source

Sometime during flight training

From The Daily Breeze on August 31, 1960

Memorials

Richard is among those names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. As his loss was not due directly to hostile action, though, he does not appear in the Vietnam War section of the Killed In Action panel in Memorial Hall.

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