Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1966 Lucky Bag:

BEVERLY THOMAS RICHARDSON

Tom is another product from Columbia Prep who got his start in Tennessee. After getting acclimated to the regimentation and academics plebe year he has shown himself to be a hard worker. He has played a variety of sports demonstrating outstanding competitive spirit, but the sports he had always wanted to play will have to be left up to his “little” brothers. As for girls, he has had great success in meeting them, especially at Academy sponsored dances. His friendly and outgoing personality has made him many lasting friends here and should help him in the future as a Naval officer.

Loss

Beverly was lost on January 14, 1968 when the Cougar jet he was piloting caught fire and crashed near Corpus Christi, Texas.

Other Information

From the April 1968 issue of Shipmate:

Lt(jg) Beverly T. Richardson, Jr., USN, was killed on 14 Jan. when his parachute failed to open, following ejection from a burning TF9J Cougar jet near Corpus Christi, Tex., while on a training flight. Services were held in Fort Myer Chapel, with interment in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Lt. Richardson was born in Memphis, Tenn., and attended Columbian Preparatory School before entering the Naval Academy, from where he was graduated in 1966. He had flight training at Pensacola, and was attending flight school at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station at the time of the accident. He had volunteered for service in Vietnam.

Surviving are his parents. Col. and Mrs. B. T. Richardson of 1725 Sanford Court, Annandale, Va.; two brothers, Charles M. of the home, and William M., who attends the University of North Carolina, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Richardson.

The crash occurred shortly after taking off from Kingsville Naval Air Auxiliary Air Station in Texas. His instructor survived the ejection.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

The Fairfax Falls Church Sun Echo¹ announced in June, 1966 that Tom was headed to USNA after graduating from Arundel Senior High School in Gambrills, MD and attending Columbian Prep. Tom completed the Flight Preparation School² course at NAS Pensacola in December, 1966.

Photographs

From The Memphis Press-Scimitar on July 25, 1951 Source

References