Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1966 Lucky Bag:

THOMAS EUGENE BRUNK

Tom, coming from Gallup, New Mexico, spent a valuable year at New Mexico Military Institute in preparation for the Academy. During his high school days, he excelled in academics, as well as in football and track. After donning the Navy blue, Tom was quick to develop many lasting friendships and found smooth sailing at the Academy. The Academic Department was no great obstacle to him, as seen by his Superintendent’s List, and at times, Star average. Tom, a participant in the elective system, selected Mechanical Engineering for his major, yet always found time to help a friend in need. Known as “Desert Rat” by his classmates, he fought a never ending battle with swimming but managed to keep his head above water, if only barely. Having a wide variety of interests, he ran the gauntlet of sports from lightweight football to Battalion gymnastics. His loyalty and desire to do the best that he can, promises for him a very bright career in the Service of his choice.

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He was also a member of the 4th Battalion staff (winter and spring).

Loss

Thomas was lost on May 26, 1972 when the P-3 Orion aircraft he was aboard went missing off the coast of Big Sur, California.

From VP Navy:

Lost Friday (May 26, 1972)…A Patrol Squadron Thirty-One P-3 Orion aircraft was declared missing after leaving on a routine training flight from Moffett Field Friday Morning at 9:15 a.m. with a crew of eight.

The subhunter patrol plane was the object of an intense air-sea search covering 14,000 miles. The aircraft was due back around 2 p.m. and when it did not appear search and rescue procedures were instigated. The plane is believed down somewhere between Moffett and the local Navy flying area off the coast of Big Sur.

Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force planes and Coast Guard cutters made an extensive search of the area in which the plane might have gone down.

Heavy fog and bad weather hampered the search during the early phases. As the paper goes to press no word of the fate of the crew and aircraft has been received.

Those aboard the missing plane, are: Lieutenant Thomas E. Brunk, PPC and Instructor Pilot; Lieutenant (j.g.) Richard A. Nelson, student pilot; Lieutenant (j.g.) Joseph T. Becker, student pilot; ADJI Ronald C. Hamelin, Flight Engineer Engineer; AMS2.C William S. Lasko, Instructor Flight Engineer; ADJ2 Michael E. Hamlin, Student Flight Engineer, Air Force Major Bobby G. Parish, United Technology Center Plant Representative and; LCdr Terry R. Cook, NARTU Alameda.

Other Information

From the November 1972 issue of Shipmate':

Lt. Thomas Eugene Brunk, USN, died in an aircraft accident in the Big Sur Operating Area, California, on 26 May. He was an instructor pilot in a P-3 Orion which was declared missing after a routine training flight from Moffett Field. Memorial services were held 2 June at Moffett Field.

A native of Santa Fe, N.M., he was a 1966 graduate of the Naval Academy. Lt. Brunk completed flight training and then served with VP-19 and VP-31. He was attached to the latter at the time of his death.

Surviving are his widow, Janet, 20925 Valley Green Dr., Apt. 271, Cupertino, CA 95041; and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Grover E. Brunk of Gallup, N.M.

His wife seems to have remarried; as of March 2012 she posted as “Janet Brunk Ehlers.” Her email account is on that site as well. At the time of Thomas’ death she was pregnant with their son, Jason.

He has a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.

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Orland Pender, Jr. ‘66 was also in 23rd Company.