Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1946 Lucky Bag:

Richard Wayne Mabee

Perhaps it was because he was an air bug, or maybe it was from seeing his name so often on the extra duty list, at any rate we shall all remember Dick as a man of few, if any, worries. “The Mole” eased through academics, and we often found him in the gym either tossing weights around or mastering the art of jiu jitsu. He had many friends among the midshipmen, but left all drags alone and stayed true-blue to the girl back home. It is with high expectations that we send “The Mole” again into the Fleet.

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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.

Biography

From Maybee Society¹:

Oliver Edwin Mabee was mentioned in the obituary of Richard Wayne Mabee on 19 December 1951 at Carroll, Iowa; Mr and Mrs R. P. Haselton and Mr and Mrs Paul Junker attended memorial services in Des Moines on Sunday for Mrs Haselton’s nephew Navy Lieutenant Richard Mabee, who crashed into the Mediterranean sea shortly after a take off from an aircraft carrier, Nov 30, 1951. His body was not recovered.

Lt Mabee was born June 10, 1922 in Des Moines and graduated in June 1940 from East High School. He was a member of St Marks Episcopal Church. Her enlisted in the U S Navy in June 1940 and served one year on the USS Oklahoma before entering the Naval Preparatory School at Norfolk, Va. He was admitted to the U S Naval Academy at Annapolis and graduated with the class of 1945. He was married to Miss Mariane Carlson of Des Moines, June 6, 1945.

Besides his wife, he is survived by two small daughters, Annette Sue and Patricia Louise; his parents, Mr and Mrs O E Mabee of Des Moines, a brother Willard of Dubuque, and a sister, Mrs C W (Mildred) Brown of Clifton, Ariz.

Twelve officers of the U S Navy attended the memorial services, including two from French Morocco, where Lt Mabee was stationed.

Other Information

He was a member of Composite Squadron (VC) 6 flying from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA 42).

Richard has a memory marker in Iowa.

Photographs

From his high school yearbook

Related Articles

John Borbidge ’46 was also operating from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA 42) when he, too, was lost in November 1951.

William Spangle, II ‘46 was also a member of 8th Company.

References