Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1971 Lucky Bag:

WILLIAM HERMAN MARLE

Bill Came to the Academy from Denver, Colorado, and quickly established a name for himself in two areas, the D&B and Eating. Known as “Max” around the company, he gained a starting position at bass drum plebe summer and held on to it for 4 years. Never one to turn down a good meal, Bill always made sure that food was not wasted on his table. After graduation, Bill aspires to be one of the flying lovers of Naval Air. The Navy’s gain will be the company wardroom’s loss.

Loss

Bill was lost when the C-1A plane he was aboard crashed on August 14, 1980, while operating from USS Ranger (CV 61).¹ All three others aboard the aircraft were also lost.

Other Information

From the November 1980 issue of Shipmate:

Lt. William Herman Marle USN was killed in an aircraft crash at sea on August 14, 1980. He and three other crewmen from the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS RANGER (CV-61) were lost when the plane crashed at sea approximately 50 miles west of San Diego. A memorial service was held on August 18 on the flight deck of the carrier.

Lt. Marle was born in Sendai, Japan, the son of an active duty U.S. Army Officer. Many of his early years were spent in overseas duty posts. He entered the United States Naval Academy on a Presidential Appointment in June of 1967 and was graduated and commissioned with the Class of 1971.

His first tour of duty was in USS NEOSHO (AO-143) where he served as the electrical division officer. He subsequently entered flight training and upon successful completion of the Naval Flight Officer curriculum was awarded his wings, his initial fleet squadron assignment being with Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 21 which was in the process then of commissioning the new S-3A “Viking” aircraft. The squadron was moved aboard the USS KENNEDY (CV-67) where he served as mission commander in the S-3A aircraft. On completion of the tour of duty, he received orders to the staff of Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Wing Pacific Fleet where he served as a systems operation officer until November 1979. Following further training at the Dam Neck Weapons School in Virginia he was assigned to the USS RANGER as anti-submarine warfare module watch officer. He was a member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association.

He is survived by his widow, Katherine Wohler Marle, of National City CA; two sons, Benjamin Patrick and Daniel Eric; his parents, LCol. (USA Ret.) and Mrs. William O. Marle, and a brother of Aurora, Colorado.

Bill has a memory marker at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery.

References