WILLIAM J. WIDHELM, CAPT, USN

★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★

CAPT William "Gus" Widhelm, USN '32 was lost on this date (July 19) in 1954 when the T-28 training aircraft he was aboard crashed near Chase Field, Texas. He was the commanding officer of Chase Field at the time.

An accomplished aviator, he was twice awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism. The first was as a Lieutenant and the executive officer of Scouting Squadron (VS) 8 at the Battle of Midway. The second was later that year, when he had been promoted to LCDR and taken command of VS-8, at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. In the latter battle his aircraft was shot down and he and his rear gunner spent three days in a raft before being rescued. Later in the war he commanded the Navy's first night-fighter squadron before serving as operations officer for Carrier Task Force One.

Gus was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and children John, 10; Wendy, 8, and Sally, 4.

To Honor! ⚓

http://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/WILLIAM_J._WIDHELM,_CAPT,_USN

WILLIAM J. DRUMTRA, LTJG, USN

LTjg William Drumtra '32, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was lost on July 25, 1938 when the torpedo bomber he was aboard crashed near Norfolk, Virginia.

At the Naval Academy he was known as a "roommate and a friend" with "no equal. His even temperament is not disturbed by petty gripes. We are sure that he will fulfil the requirements of an officer and a gentleman." He was business manager of Masqueraders and Musical Clubs; boxed 2/c year, played baseball and class football in his 4/c and 3/c years.

He was survived by his parents and a brother.

https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/WILLIAM_J._DRUMTRA,_LTJG,_USN

DEWITT W. SHUMWAY, CDR, USN

Dewitt Shumway '32, recipient of the Navy Cross and two Distinguished Flying Crosses for action in WWII, was killed in 1946 by an errant bomb on Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. He was the acting commanding officer of Bombing Squadron (VB) 3 aboard USS Saratoga during the Battle of Midway and later the non-acting commanding officer during raids on the Solomon Islands in August 1942.

He was survived by his wife, Helen, son, David, his mother, and his sister.

To Honor! ⚓

JOHN R. SPIERS, LCDR, USN

★★★ Memorial Monday ★★★
John "Jack" Spiers, '32. From the Lucky Bag: "We've always imagined Welshmen as very small, quick people with impossible names, but Jack is our human paradox. Six long feet of him convince us that crew is not for us. Intractable brown hair and hazel eyes complete the picture.

Jack was born and brought up in Philadelphia. Penn Charter was his stamping ground before the lure of the uniform got him. We will always feel that Jack has gotten a great deal more out of this our vale of tears than most. He believes implicitly in his ability to shape his life after his own ideals, though he is never obtrusive about it.

Athletics appeal to him in their ultimate importance to health. Music has charms to soothe him, but he seldom raves over it. His keenly inquisitive mind, coupled with his inherited conscientiousness, keeps him booming long after we have knocked off for the day.

Somewhere in the service we will meet him again and will be reminded of the good it has done us to know him. Always considerate, interested and active, we know his success is assured."

Stationed at the Naval Air Station at Quonset Point, RI, Lieutenant Commander John R. Spiers was lost in a plane crash off the Atlantic coast on October 11, 1942. He was survived by his wife and a young daughter, Martha, his parents and three sisters, Faith, Marcia, and Phoebe. Mrs. Spiers returned to California, where she raised their daughter.

To Honor! ⚓

https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/JOHN_R._SPIERS,_LCDR,_USN