Tommy's first sea duty was in NEVADA as officer in charge of the anti-aircraft battery. On 7 December 1941, the ship was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and Tommy's battery opened fire on the first enemy planes. For his courage and endurance, although wounded by shell fragments, burned, and deafened due to broken eardrums, he was awarded the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart.

After hospitalization, he returned to sea on board LANSDOWNE, then became executive officer of VESOLE before taking command of VAN VALKENBURGH In April, 1942, Tommy married Bette Ann Thuman of Baltimore. After the war, he earned his law degree at George Washington University, followed by duty as navigator of MACON. Later he helped establish the MSTS office in Trieste, then was assigned to CinCSouth in Naples for two years before returning to sea in command of KEPPLER. In 1953, he was named Congressional liaison officer to the Secretary of Defense, Charles Wilson, and in 1956 returned to the Pacific in command of OAK HILL and then TALUGA.

In 1960, Tommy and family arrived in Hawaii, where he was Public Relations Officer for CinCPac. From there he returned to Washington, D.C. to the Office of Navy Comptroller, and while in this office, he retired from the Navy on December 31, 1963. In addition to the awards already mentioned, he had received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal.

Upon retirement, Tommy set up his own law practice in Arlington, Virginia. He was a member of the District of Columbia Bar and Virginia State Bar Associations and had been sworn in to practice before The Supreme Court. In 1966, the Taylors bought a farm in Loudoun County, Virginia and raised horses, sheep and goats. Tommy joined the Loudoun Hunt Club and rode to the hounds with them. It was at this farm that Tommy and Bette Ann hosted the first Class of '40 picnic, 18 years ago, for all classmates in the nearby areas. Tommy moved his law practice to Leesburg, Virginia and formed the firm of Hedrick and Taylor. In 1975, he was diagnosed as having a brain tumor, stemming from an earlier biopsy, 1961, as melanoma. This forced his retirement from the practice of law. He lingered on, heroically fighting this cancer until his death on June11, 1983.

He was a member of the American Society of Military Comptrollers, the National Lawyers Club, the Federal and District of Columbia Bar Associations, and the Naval Academy Alumni Association. He is survived by his widow Elizabeth (Bette Ann) T. Taylor, three children, Dr. Thomas H., Jr. (PhD), Nancy T. Kropetz, and Randolph K. and three grandchildren. ~t

Vern went to the USNA from Lakefield, Minnesota. Following graduation, he reported aboard USS ST. LOUIS, and was in ST. LOUIS at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was ordered to NAS Lakehurst for Lighter-Than-Air training and served in various blimp squadrons on anti-sub duty along the East Coast of the United States and Brazil.

After designation as an AED Officer, he served in BuAer and went through flight training at Ottumwa and Pensacola. Then came a short tour in the Assembly and Repair Department at NAS North Island, before going to PostGrad School at Annapolis and CalTech. In later tours, he was the BuAerRep in Akron, Ohio; Assistant Director of the Airframe Design Division in BuAer; Production Manager of the Overhaul and Repair Department at NAS NORVA; and Director of the Aircraft Production Division in BuWeps. He retired from the Navy in 1963 as a Captain.

He then spent two years in the Product Support Division of Litton Systems in California before joining the McDonnell Aircraft Company in St. Louis as Manager, Support Programs. Later assignments included Director, Support Operations and Vice President, Product Support, before retirement from McDonnell Douglas in 1982.

Vernon and Lillian currently live in St. Louis, MO. Their daughter, Carol, and son, Richard, also live and work in the St. Louis area. A good bit of time is spent at such exciting homeowner tasks as mowing, pruning, trimming, or painting and a modest amount of traveling. Having sold their airplane, such travel is now by car or airline. Vern spends a fair amount of time at his computer each day, and they look forward to more travel.

It is hard for Willie to believe that fifty years have passed since he threw away his Midshipman's cap. For half of that time, he still wore the uniform and it was a full and exciting life. Certainly the most memorable, important and happiest events of his life occurred during that period. The war years in the Pacific aboard the proud cruisers INDIANAPOLIS and NEW ORLEANS exposed him to role models of good and weak senior officers, also staunch friends who still are close. A dear wife to be, Lt. Ruth (Tony) Toenberg, NC, USNR, who while in USS SOLACE followed the Fleet and Marines across the central Pacific, accepted his proposal in Kwajalein lagoon,

Following the war, the Trices were married and returned to Annapolis for a shore tour with Tony as a civilian and Willie an Instructor of Physics. These were carefree days in the shadow of the Chapel Dome with the color and benefits of Academy life, including long summer leave periods.

Next followed the destroyer years operating out of San Diego. Long deployments to WestPac as XO in FECHTELER and CO of HICKOX before and during the Korean War but with enough time in port to buy their first home, and have a baby boy, Roderick E. Trice. A tour in OPNAV, a Carrier Staff billet with the Seventh Fleet, CO of Amphibious Transport MERRICK, Inspector General for COMNAVMARIANAS in Guam and finally another stint in OPNAV completed his active service, with retirement in 1965.

For civilian life, the Trices returned to San Diego and he became a Trust Officer with Bank of America. This duty consisted of handling other peoples' money and property in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and finally La Jolla. After 15 years with the Bank, in 1981, he hung up the blue pinstripes for his second retirement. Since then, the Trices have been taking it easy in La Jolla and watching with pride the Navy career of LCDR Rod Trice.

Immediately after graduation, Bex received a reserve commission due to less-than-perfect eyesight. He took a civilian job in Brooklyn with Sperry as a Marine Service Engineer. A year later, the Navy beckoned him to Great Lakes as an Executive Department addition. This didn't last long as BuShips needed a gyro expert. In 1942, the Dodge Division of Chrysler Corp. went into production with gyro compass equipment. For nearly two years, Bex handled inspection and shipment of this equipment in Detroit. During this assignment, Bex met and married Jean MacDonald.

In 1943, Jean and Bex moved to Brooklyn, where he worked for the Arma Corp. He later went to Sperry's Lake Success, Long Island, plant to work on gyroscopic instruments. After the war, he took GE's Advanced Manufacturing Course, and he continued that education at the Fort Wayne Motor Works until 1947. He then went on to GE's Pittsfield, MA, Ordnance Dept. as Assistant to the Superintendent.

In 1950, Bex was involved in missile work at Ft. Bliss, Texas, and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama with Von Braun and his scientists. In 1951, there was another move, this time to Schenectady, where he was assigned to GE's Aeronautics Department. In 1953, he became Superintendent of the Trenton plant of CE's Home Heating and Cooling Department.

In 1955, Bex went with Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp., specialty steel producers with headquarters in Pittsburgh. He was in sales, which required a great deal of travel, but his family at last was settled in one place. Bex and Jean built a house in Fox Chapel Borough, just north of Pittsburgh. In Fox Chapel, Bex was active in several community organizations: Borough Councilman; Park Commission; Sanitary Authority; the Squaw Run Area Watershed Association; Fox Chapel Environmental Advisory Council; and the Pittsburgh Field Club.

Bex remained with Allegheny Ludlum until his retirement in 1976 as Assistant to the Vice President for Marketing. After two years of retirement and after he had put his collection of antique clocks in good running condition, Bex was persuaded to take over management of the Fox Chapel Racquet Club, where he worked until his sudden death in October of 1986.

In addition to Jean, who still lives in Fox Chapel, Bex is survived by their three children. A son, Garry, born in Fort Wayne, IN, in 1946, is now an engineer with Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. A daughter, Nancy, born in Schenectady, NY, in 1951, now lives in Connecticut. She received a degree in journalism and was associate editor of "Yachting" magazine. Another son, Glen, born in Pittsburgh in 1962, is purchasing agent at Mt. Lebanon Office Supply Co. in Pittsburgh.

Bob had to leave the USNA before graduation because of bad eyesight but, after getting a B.S. and MA, memorized the eye chart, and served 14 months in the Pacific, participating in the Okinawa invasion. After WW II, he taught at George Washington University, worked as an engineer for BuPers, served in CBR with OSD, was a Pentagon consultant for three years, and headed the Milan, Italy ordnance office. Then he became a computer scientist with Sperry Rand and served three years at PAX River, two with BuPers, one with the lab at Annapolis, two with the CBR group at Ft. McClellan, and nine with the OSD where he also served as a White House consultant and part time professor at GWU. In the meantime he completed the course work for a PhD at American University and a D.Sci. at GWU.

After retirement from DoD, he worked for the Earth Satellite Corporation and finished a third doctoral program in Business Administration, being awarded the PhD degree. Then came two years in Denmark as a visiting professor and dean at Odense University and the Copenhagen Business School. After return to the United States, Bob rejoined the faculty of GWU and tried to get his golf game back in shape at the Army Navy Country Club.

Wife Ruth died in July, 1988, of cancer and daughter Kirsten lost her life in an auto accident in 1985. Two granddaughters, Karen and Lisa, survive and are busily working in the hotel business. Sports have been one of Bob's favorite pursuits. There was a plebe letter in track, a varsity letter in golf from the University of Kentucky, and four years of tournament water skiing when he won The New Jersey Championship, the Maryland-Virginia-District of Columbia Championships, won two third places in the Eastern Regional Championships, and finished 17th in the Nationals. Bob has also written a novel, as yet unpublished, has completed a Christmas musical show (music and book), and is writing papers in the international arena proposing a new world-wide organization to preserve democracy.

Herman says in looking back over the past fifty years, a paramount consideration must be, "If he could, would he do it again?" The answer in his case has to be a resounding "Yes." Elaine and Herman have enjoyed a great marriage. They raised two good kids and they have given them three nice grandchildren. They have resided north and south on both coasts and successfully survived four tours in Washington. Outside the continental limits, they lived on Guam, Saipan, Oahu (three times!) and in London. While they were on active duty, Elaine set up 24 different homes -- not too shabby on odyssey.

Professionally, he began in battleships, and after completing flight training, pursued an aviation career directed to fighters and aircraft carriers. Flew combat in WW II and Korea. Served on the staffs of two carrier divisions as well as staffs of CINCPACFLT, CINCUSNAVEUR, COMNAVAIRPAC and COMFAIRWESTPAC. Commanded an aircraft service squadron, a fighter squadron, a fleet oiler, an attack aircraft carrier, a Naval District, a fleet air wing, an ASW Group and twice a fleet air command. Sandwiched among these jobs were tours in BuOrd, BuAer, OPNAV and JCS, and even XO of an air station and a fighter squadron.

In 1972, they built a home near the air station on Whidbey Island in the "other Washington" and retired.

The jobs he had were good ones. But of equal importance, they were fun jobs. However, if he had not had a gal who was willing and able to pull up stakes on short notice and put up with deployments, particularly when the kids were little, he could never have hacked the program.

It all boils down to a great family life and fun jobs where a guy feels he contributes. And so Herm says, "Would I do it again? You betcha"