Vietnam

VADM James Bond Stockdale, USN, Class of 1947

VADM James Bond Stockdale was a Prisoner of War in Vietnam for seven years. He was the highest ranking Naval Officer held captive and one of the longest. During his captivity his example earned him the Medal of Honor. According to his citation, he was “Recognized by his captors as the leader in the Prisoners' of War resistance to interrogation and in their refusal to participate in propaganda exploitation…  By his heroic action, at great peril to himself, he earned the everlasting gratitude of his fellow prisoners and of his country.” He is a member of the Class of 1947 and the Center for Ethics at the Academy is named in his honor. VADM Stockdale is laid to rest in Section 3, Plot 307. 

CAPT Hurbert B. Loheed, Class of 1948 (Cenotaph)

CAPT Loheed, a Naval Aviator, Naval Academy Class of 1948 and the Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron 146, was flying a mission on February 1, 1966. After bombing his target he and his wingman entered a steep climb and a quick dive into clouds at 1000 feet. His wingman lost visual and all communication with the Commander’s aircraft. He was listed as Missing in Action until he was presumed dead nine years later. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of CAPT. He is memorialized with a maker placed in the Cemetery, Section 2, Plot 261.

CAPT Homer L. Smith, Class of 1949

CAPT Smith was a graduate of the Class of 1949. He was a Naval Aviator in Vietnam. In May 1967 his plane was shot down and he was taken prisoner. In 1972 his helmet was put on display confirming he had survived the crash. According to another officer he was tortured to death. In 1974 his remains were returned to U.S. custody and he was laid to rest in the Naval Academy Cemetery, Section 9, Plot 1746.

Lt Col Robert M. Brown, USAF, Class of 1957 (In Memoriam)

Lt Col Brown graduated from the Naval Academy in 1957. While serving in Vietnam his F-111A was shot down. He was listed as Missing in Action until 1977 when declared Killed in Action. In 2011 his remains were identified and repatriated. Although his final resting place is unknown, a niche memorializes him in the columbarium, 46-6-L. 

Senator John McCain, Class of 1958

John Sidney McCain III was many things. He was a Senator from the state of Arizona and served as such until his death in 2018, a former member of the House of Representatives, the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate, Naval Aviator and Prisoner of War. he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958 and retired in 1981 at the rank of Captain. During his time as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam he sustained bodily injuries which would have some effect on him for the remainder of his life. After his retirement from Active Duty he would be elected for two terms in the House of Representatives and six as a US Senator and was a seated senator at the time of his death. He rests in Section 8, Plot 1704 next to his Academy roommate Admiral Charles Larson, who happens to be the longest serving Naval Academy Superintendent. 

Lt Col Glenn R. Morrison, USAF, Class of 1959 (In Memoriam)

Lt Col Morrison, a member of the class of 1959, was killed in Action in Vietnam when his plane was shot down at that time he was a member of the 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron and flew a F-100 Super Saber. His remains were never recovered but his name is listed on a niche cover where his wife is interred in the Naval Academy Columbarium, 36-4-H.

The Honorable Robert McFarlane, USNA Class of 1959

Robert McFarlane, commonly known as Bud graduated from the Naval Academy in 1959. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps and served two tours of Duty in Vietnam. In 1971 he was the first Marine Corps officer to be appointed a White House Fellow. He worked in Legislative Affairs. After retirement at the Rank of LtCol. He was appointed as National Security Advisor during the Reagan Administration until his resignation in 1985. He was considered a controversial figure for his role in the Iran–Contra affair. However he was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush before he left office. He is interred in Section 1, plot 108.

Col John Ripley, USMC, Class of 1962

Col John Ripley graduated from the Naval Academy in 1962. He was commissioned a 2ndLt in the Marine Corps. He served two tours in Vietnam. On the first, he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. During his second tour of duty he performed the heroic act which would lead to him being awarded the Navy Cross and immortalized in an diorama off of Memorial Hall in Bancroft Hall. According to the citation for his award, Then Capt Ripley was decorated with the Navy Cross, “[f]or extraordinary heroism on 2 April 1972 … Upon receipt of a report that a rapidly moving, mechanized, North Vietnamese army force… It became imperative that a vital river bridge be destroyed if the overall security of the northern provinces of Military Region ONE was to be maintained. Advancing to the bridge to personally supervise this most dangerous but vitally important assignment, Captain Ripley located a large amount of explosives which had been prepositioned… Captain Ripley was obliged to reach up and hand-walk along the beams while his body dangled beneath the bridge. On five separate occasions, in the face of constant enemy fire, he moved to points along the bridge and, with the aid of another advisor who pushed the explosives to him, securely emplaced them. He then detonated the charges and destroyed the bridge, thereby stopping the enemy assault. By his heroic actions and extraordinary courage, Captain Ripley undoubtedly was instrumental:in saving an untold number of lives.” Later, he would leave a legacy by his service in education. He served a Senior Marine at USNA and has served as an exemplar of grit and honor to countless midshipmen. He is laid to rest in Section 3, Plot 346.

LT Richard L. Laws, Class of 1962

LT Laws was a member of the class of 1952. In April 1966 while flying a mission in Vietnam he took on enemy fire and his plane crashed.In 2011, due to advancements in DNA Technology, the remains of LT Law were identified and were repatriated to the United States. In 2013, he was interred in the Naval Academy Columbarium 35-3-L.