Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1949 Lucky Bag:

John F. Harper

After high school, Harp attended Middlebury College under the V-5 program, and today his first love is still the air corps, which he hopes to enter after graduation. During his time here, he has occupied himself with the Glee Club, Choir, and Serenaders, to which groups his exceptionally fine singing voice has made him an out- standing contributor. On Sundays, after choir, he taught a Sunday School class to round out the day. Athletics also offered an outlet for his abundant supply of energy—a fine golf player, he has been a member of the plebe and varsity golf teams for four years. As he was always ready with a smile and out-of-date joke, his amiability made him a favorite at bull sessions and a popular companion for the scores of ladies, six years old and up, in his life.

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He was also a member of the 2nd Regiment staff (winter set) and the Choir.

Loss

John was lost on July 31, 1951 when the F4U Corsair he was piloting crashed east of San Diego.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

John played the part of “Hebe” in “Operation Pinafive,” the Naval Academy’s spring production of the musical club in May 1947.

John was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Waverly. He was buried in Forest Home Cemetery where his parents are buried. His father died in January 1949, and his mother in 1982.

From the Elmira Advertiser on August 2, 1951:

Lt. Harper was a carrier pilot and was on training maneuvers with his squadron when he was killed.

Lt. Harper was a graduate of Waverly High School and played varsity football and basketball. He attended Middlebury College for one year in the Navy V-12 program and then entered the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. On graduation from Annapolis in June 1949, he trained at Pensacola, Fla., and received his wings in December 1950. He was home in December for the holidays. In June 1951, he was promoted from ensign to lieutenant junior grade.

Besides his mother Gladys, he is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Betty Snyder of Ithaca and Mrs. Elaine Paden, whose husband, Jerome Jay Paden, a graduate of West Point, was killed in action with the field artillery in Korea only a few months ago. John’s father predeceased him.

He is not mentioned in the 1949 Class History.

John is buried in New York.

Photographs

From the Press and Sun Bulletin on August 7, 1947

From the Daily News on April 5, 1948

From the Elmira Advertiser on August 2, 1951