Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1960 Lucky Bag:

WILLIAM LESTER ALDRICH

In the course of a misspent youth, crowded with swimming at Huntington Beach, lifeguarding at the Montebello Natatorium, and skiing in the Sierras, Bill managed to acquire the credits necessary for graduation from California’s institutions of secondary learning. Here at USNA, Bill was able to keep his grades above average, and to stand near the top of his class in physical training. His afternoons were filled by company 150-pound football in the winter, and yawl sailing in the spring and fall. After graduation, Bill plans to return to his beach boy role, on the white sands bordering Navy’s cradle of aviation.

Loss

William was lost on November 27, 1963 when the A-3 Skywarrior he was piloting crashed in Washington.

Other Information

From USNA ‘60 Memorial Site¹:

It is with a deep sense of grief that we announce the death of Bill Aldrich, who was killed in an aircraft accident on 27 November 1963. Bill was attached to Heavy Attack Squadron 123 at Seattle, and is survived by his widow, Ruth, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lester C. Aldrich of Pismo Beach, Calif. We could not have lost a finer, more friendly classmate than Bill, whose loss will leave a vacant spot in the hearts of those who knew him well. We join his family in mourning our friend, and may our last tribute to him be what St. John once said: “Greater love than this no one has that one lay down his life for his friends.” Shipmate, January 1964

From Find A Grave, sometime after November 2011 when the page for William was created:

Thank you so much for the article you placed on my late husband’s “find a grave” site. Bill and I were married for a very short time (five days short of being two years). Three weeks ago, I started my papers for DAR, DTR and the Austin Old Three Hundred and this is when I was introduced to “Find a Grave” site. The picture of Bill, is from a high school year book. Again, thank you for remembering a great pilot and a magnificent man.

Ruth Gilleland Aldrich Ashmore
Reno, Texas

More information about Bill: He was a graduate of the US Naval Academy class of 1960; took his advanced training in Beeville, Texas; his first squadron was VA-94 in Lemoore, Ca. Returning from his first over seas tour, his CO (VA-94) was told to pick his best A-3 junior pilot. This pilot would be sent to Whidby IS. WA. for a special mission. While training, Bill and a third crewman were killed due to a malfunction in the control systems; the instructor got out of the plane before it crashed. Bill was the third pilot killed due to the same failure of the control system…..the Navy grounded all A-3 and found the cause of three deaths.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Bill ran cross country and participated in Bee Track at Montebello High school. He was a member of the M Club and graduated in 1956.

Bill is buried in Washington.

Photographs

From his Montebello High School yearbook Source

From his 1956 high school yearbook

From his 1956 high school yearbook

References