Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1943 Lucky Bag:

WILLIAM RUSSELL CECIL

After beginning his academic career rather unconventionally in a Kansas City school for young ladies, Bill decided to enter the academy in an attempt to live down his shameful past. Restless by nature, he polished brass in the Boat Club, blew fuses with the Juice Gang, debated with the Quarterdeck Society, and kicked shins playing battalion soccer endeavoring to escape the radiator squad. Definitely not a red mike, his troubles with the unfair sex were a constant source of amusement to his friends. The same humorous pessimism that helped him to solve these little difficulties should be invaluable to Bill in his later life.

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The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

William was lost on January 5, 1949 when his F8F Bearcat collided with another while engaged in a gunnery exercise off the coast of San Francisco. The other aircraft’s pilot was also killed.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

William graduated from Southwest High School in 1938. Secretary and treasurer of Ruskin Literary Society; reserve letterman in football; first sergeant in the R. O. T. C.

William married Lauretta Slocum on May 19, 1944, in All Saints Episcopal church in Palo Alto. At the time, William was stationed at the Naval Air Base in Dallas, Texas.

They had two daughters, Suzanne Howe Cecil and Deborah Russelle Cecil.

From the Class of 1943 anniversary book “25 years later…”:

Bill was born in Kansas City, Missouri on 29 August 1921. He was appointed to the Academy from Missouri and reported there on 30 June 1939. After graduation he served aboard the cruiser USS MINNEAPOLIS, the battleship, USS NEW JERSEY and the aircraft carrier USS SHANGRI LA. Upon completion of flight training he was designated a naval aviator in August 1947. After various duties involving flying he reported to Fighter Squadron Nineteen Able in January 1948 and later in August of that year became attached to Fighter Squadron One Hundred Ninety-one. While serving with the latter squadron Bill was killed in a plane crash in the Pacific on 5 January 1949. He was entitled to wear the American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia Clasp. He was survived by his wife Lauretta Slocum and their daughter Suzanne II who at Bill’s death resided at 9404 Empire Place, Oakland, California.

His parents were Byron and Stella, sister Sally.

William’s Find A Grave page is here.

Photographs

From the Oakland Tribune on January 6, 1949

From his high school yearbook