Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1963 Lucky Bag:

PAUL SCOTT FORMAN

Coming straight from Borger High School, this typical Texan with the booming voice was Texas’ gift to USNA. “Tex”, a big talker with big ideas, made a favorable and lasting impression with his classmates. Although not a slash at academics, he made up for this lack by his winning ways with the young ladies. Plebe year found “Tex” devoting time to plebe fencing. He also was a member of the Gun Club, the Cannoneers, the hospital choir, the Portuguese Club and the automobile committee. An avid sports car fan, “Tex” could always be counted on to have the latest information from the auto world. Looking toward the future, Tex will be an outstanding asset to whatever service he chooses to make his career.

Loss

Paul was lost when his A-4 crashed in Southern California on August 24, 1965.

Other Information

From the October 1965 issue of Shipmate:

Lt. Forman, who was born in Borger, Tex., was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1963. He was assigned to Attack Squadron 15 until Nov. 1963, when he entered basic aviation training at Pensacola. In Sept. 1964 he entered advanced training and was designated a naval aviator on 9 Feb 1965. In June of this year he reported to VA-44 for training as a replacement pilot.

Survivors include his widow, Myra Kellane Forman; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C W. Forman of 14 Carrington St., Menzies Hotel, Sydney NSW, Australia, formerly of Borger, and a brother, Philip, of Borger.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Paul was on a routine training flight when he crashed 56 miles west of Yuma in a restricted area near the Salton Sea, California. He ejected from the craft but was found dead on arrival of the search and rescue teams.

He was born at Phillips, moved to Cactus, attended school in Dumas, and graduated from Borger High School in 1959. F. A. L. A. ’57-’59. Library Club, Rec. Sec. Go to the Naval Academy. A few years before graduating, he wrote to Rep. Walter Rogers of his district and asked to be placed on the list for consideration to Annapolis as a 1959 candidate. He received word In June 1959 of his appointment.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Remembrances

Bill Hoefling ‘63, in an email on January 25, 2022:

Paul and I paralleled one another in the Basic Training Command - even being temporarily assigned to VA-15 awaiting orders to DIFOT, until he went ‘jets’ and I went ‘props.’ We relished our cars and spent weekends working and shining them. While we were working on our cars, he used to say, when a problem occurred, that “Anything mechanical will yield to logic.” I remember his saying that a lot (I have even told my son about it.)

I sort of lost contact with him in Advanced Training, but we both wound up on the West Coast.

Bill was the casualty affairs calls officer (CACO) and escorted Paul’s body to Arlington National Cemetery. In June 2024 Myra was living with her daughter in Arkansas.

Photographs

From his high school yearbook

Paul as a Midshipman, from the Plano Daily Star Courier on September 1, 1965