12/11/2019
George Fennell, '58 Honored at NAS Pensacola (12/11/19)
A memorial was recently established at Pensacola called the "Walk of Honor". It honors those who died at Pensacola during operational activities. George Myers, 16th Company, who lives in Pensacola saw to it that George Fennell, our first commissioned classmate to die on active duty, was included. George Fennell was killed in a T-28 in Pensacola. It was before we started flight training and George was taking a Sunday morning maintenance check ride. It would have been ~ August/September 1958.
The Pensacola Chapter of the USNA Alumni Association recently dedicated the Memorial USNA "Walk of Honor" located in the NAS Pensacola Veteran's Memorial Park. The "Walk of Honor" comprises memorial bricks for deceased USNA graduates. George Myers ensured that a brick was dedicated to George Fennell.
Below is a note from the President of the Pensacola Chapter of the USNA Alumni Association, Kathy McCartan '85 Describing the Dedication Ceremony.
Walk of Honor Pensacola, FL
My dear
Navy friends,
Wow- what
a wonderful dedication we had for our USNA “Walk of Honor” at Veteran’s
Memorial Park this morning. We drew a large crowd- of at least 85 
family
members, friends, classmates and shipmates. It was a beautiful event.
Jerry
Crumly '62 led the ceremony with his bagpiped "Flowers of the Forest."
Then yours truly took the podium to start the day with a moment of silence in
remembrance of all those injured and killed in yesterday's deadly event at NAS
Pensacola. We prayed for Josh Watson '19, who had recently reported to Pensacola
and died after alerting first responders outside Building 633 on Friday.
(See link to his story below). Many of Josh's 2019 classmates attended today's
dedication.
As always,
we pledged allegiance to our grand old flag and in lieu of a prayer offered up
our voices singing "Eternal Father" (accompanied by the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir- thanks, John Klose '78 & bluetooth). Our Chapter President
thanked and introduced Dick Folga '70, the visionary who brought the USNA
memorial brick walk of honor to fruition. Dick gave us background on the project
including the finanical support this provides to the Veterans Memorial Park
Foundation. Afterward, he recited the names of all of the deceased Alumni who
were honored with bricks today.
Dan Schugart, WEAR TV-3 sportscaster and son of ADM Schugart '48 gave the finest
speech about USNA and its graduates that most of us have ever heard. Dan
mentioned the life of honor and sacrifice that USNA graduates lead, from
challenging careers where they cope with separation from their families, to
their voluntary service to their country and communities. He highlighted a
number of the deceased Alum's accomplishments. I had tears in my eyes at
the end. We will get a copy of Dan's speech to share with you and that we
hope to have published in "Shipmate."
I thanked
Dan and let him know that his father would be SO PROUD! I also thanked Dick for
all his work on the project, Butch Hansen for his logisitcal support with the
bricks and the Park event, and Jerry Crumly for piping us out with
"Taps."
We
adjourned to a lively lunch at Seville Quarter. I was happy to have a
chance to meet classmates and family members of our honored deceased alumni from
the Pensacola area as well as a couple who had traveled from the Norfollk area
to attend the event. I think we may have some more Navy fans joining us at next
week's game.
Finally,
I'd like to thank Gina Jackson '83 who donated some lovely USNA poster art
created by a '48 grad. We were able to give one of these to Dan Schugart
as a special gift since his dad was also '48.
Link
to Josh Watson '19 story from WTVY
Kathy
McCartan ‘85
President,
Pensacola Chapter USNAAA