Jack's Musings: US Navy Band Disaster of 1960 April 14 2009, 25 Comments

Thank you so much for the article on the loss of nineteen Navy Band members in 1960. How well I remember that day as I was stationed at the Navy School of Music in Anacostia. It was, indeed, a very sad day. I have reflected on that day many times in the last 49 years. Thank you so much for your article.

God bless
Harold Childs

Harold,

Thank you for you kind words.

I am very interested in this

Interesting site, but much advertisments on him. Shall read as subscription, rss.

I was trying to find the name of the church in Rio de Janiero that dedicated a memorial stained glass window in memory of the bandsmen when I came across this article. I was 10 years old when my father(Earl Richey) was killed in that plane crash. I can’t believe 49 years have passed. One of the blessings of having a father as a musician is whenever I hear the French horn, it’s as if I hear his voice. It’s very comforting to me. Thank you for this article.

Dawn Richey Moyer

Dawn,

Thank you for taking the time to read the article! Feel free to pass your comments onto Jack Kopstein jack@militarymusic.com the author of the article. I’m glad we could help you find the information you were looking for! Thanks again for reading!

Eric Scism

My grandfather was one of the musicians in the crash. Walter M. Penland. I have found a few articles but nothing like this one thank you so much!

I grew up in Washington, D.C. and my Dad, when I was a kid, always pointed out a dock area along the Potomac river (or should I say a place where a doc used to be) ..and some adjacent stone steps – not too far from the Lincoln Memorial – in which he would sit to destress from his job and listen to a wonderful “military band” as he called it (he was an immigrant who spoke in broken English). He talked about how they no longer played after a “terrible air crash in which all were killed” and he further went on to say it was Eisenhower’s band (obviously some of those facts weren’t straight – but this is also my childhood memory at play) …but I always remembered him talking of this and how sad he was at the loss… and that the band no longer played on that doc area (he ALWAYS pointed it out as we drove by). I had never heard of any of this myself through news or anything as I grew up …but this was of course before the internet. So just today YEARS later …I had remembered this… and thought “Hey I can probably look up what this was all about” ..and sure enough here it all is. It’s nice to have this and have the connection to all of it in memoriam to all of those that passed away (including my Dad who is long since passed on too).

My father, Hy Shulman, was a violinist in the Navy Band at the time of this crash. He was scheduled to go on this trip, but as I recall, he had the mumps and couldn’t go. My mother always said she had an awful premonition about the trip, and begged my father not to go! Had he gone, I would not have been born 19 months later!

Debbie,

Wow! Talk about a mother’s intuition! Thank you for sharing your story. It’s always great to hear from the family of our military band’s members.

-Eric

Thank you for this article!! My father, Jim Clark (James W.Clark), was a trombone player in the band at that time (Ret.1969?). I remember him telling me he was disapointed because a band member ( name?) just in front of him got the last seat on that plane. He would have to go by ship, a longer trip. He and the other band members got the news of the planes crash, if I rember correctly, while aboard ship. He said he felt guilty for years. I was born in 1962. Jim passed a few years ago. Thanks to everyone who posted here! I am also a musician and I am proud of my father and his band, the United States Navy Band. signed, Victor J. Clark vjmkclark@verizon.net

Victor,

That is amazing! I’m sure your father was disappointed at the time, but wow that’s amazing that by chance he was not on that plane. Just incredible! We love hearing about these stories! Thanks for sharing.

-Eric Scism

I still remember the day the phone rang to deliver the tragic news and our lives changing forever. Thank you for keeping the memory of these talented navy musicians alive for posterity. It is unbelievable that 50 years have passed.

May they rest in peace.
Juanita Gaglio

I was only 8 years old, but I can still remember the panic in our family
when they heard about the crash. The details were fuzzy, but everyone figured my Grandfather was on that plane as he was the Conductor.
It turned out that my Grandfather was in Buenos Aeries with a larger contingent of the band. Sadly it was Lt. Johann H. Fultz the assistant leader and 18 others who lost their lives…….but the Band plays on.
Robert Brendler
Rockville, Maryland

Thank you for this! I have to humbly say, my father, Sonarman 2nd class Frederick Earl Wilson, was one of the three survivors who sat in the tail section that fateful day. He does not talk much about it, however when the Navy Band plays to this day, he becomes solemn and has a far away look in his eye, especially when they play Eternal Father Strong to Save. Thank you again!

My father, TM Chief Robert Fillmore Osborne, was one of the naval men killed on that fateful day, February 25, 1960, in Rio de Janeiro. Dad caught a hop on the Naval plane carrying President Eishenhower’s band members because he wanted to get back home to his wife and three children in Norfolk, VA.

TM Chief Robert Osborne had been called up for a “top secret mission” on an U.S. Navy Advisory Group sent to Argentina to assist the South American government in anti-submarine warfare during the Cuban Crisis. He was not allowed to tell his wife where he was going or when he was getting back home.

I will never forget that day of the crash; I along with my sister & brother were home sick with chicken pox. There was a news flash and my mother screaming that she was sure that our father was dead; then her frantic calls to Little Creek Naval Base, the TV station, and the newspaper, trying to get information. It would be hours later when the phone rang and the first name read off the list of the men killed was my father’s name. Mom broke down and then there were Naval men knocking on our door to console my mother. The school teachers from Little Creek Elementary brought me, my sister & brother consolatory letters from our classmates.

There was a day for memorial services on my father’s ship, USS Sierra, and then the burial service that we attended at Arlington National Cemetery on a very cold and windy day. Dad was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full Military Honors, nine grave sites down from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At the time of his death, TM Chief Robert Osborne, was 39 years old with 2 years left before retiring from the Navy.

Our lives would never be the same again. I had just turned 8 years old (December 30) and my sister & brother had just turned 7 years old (Janunary 11) at the time of his death. My mother never remarried.

Robert Osborne was a wonderful father that left me with many great memories. The love that he had given me sustained me through many bad times; it had a tremendous influence with how I raised my children.

What an amazing recount of that day’s tragedy Olivia! Thank you for sharing your story with us. It’s so amazing to hear all the different ways this story affected so many people’s lives in different ways.

My father, Sonarman 2nd Class F. E. Wilson was one of the three survivors. I was born 4 days after the memorial at Christ Church in Brazil. My heart goes out to the families who lost their sons, brothers, fathers, grandfathers on that tragic day. God Bless.

I was waiting at the school bus stop with my friends when my brother drove by and yelled for me to get in the car. I started asking my friends if they wanted a ride – and my brother kept yelling to get in the car and then yelled that daddy was dead. When I got in the car, we heard over the radio the names of men who died in the crash. I was 15; my brother was 18.

That is a very sad story, Karen. Thank you, for sharing.

Milton Bergey was from Huntington, L.I., my hometown. I remember attending a Navy Band concert when I was in junior high school. Milton’s parents were asked to stand up in the audience. My parents knew the Bergeys from church so it was a real shock when we heard about the crash.

My uncle, William Parker Glass, was one of the naval men killed. He was not in the band but had “hitched” a ride with them. He left behind his widow, my Aunt Ruth, and two young children, Kathi, 4 yrs and Jeff, 6 months. It would be nice if memoriams regarding this disaster also included the names of those not in the band.

My father William Parker Glass was also a Navy man who was killed on that plane. I would like it if his name was mentioned in this memoriam. I was only 4 years old, but was always told what a brave and wonderful man he was and how he was killed. I have the vase & letter that was given to my mother from President Eisenhower.Thank you

Olivia Osborne Terjesen. My father William Parker Glass also caught a ride on that plane to get home to us in Norfolk Virginia! In fact thats where I was born! Your father & mine were probably good friends. I was too young to remember this happening but I grew up knowing all about him and how he was killed. They failed to mention his name.

Like many other’s comments, I also remember that day in 1960. I graduated from the USN School of Music in 1955. Mr. Fultz, the Assistant Band Leader, was our Academic Officer at the school and MU1 Roger Wilklow was in my class which graduated in April 1956. Lt. Fultz was a wonderful officer and Roger was a fantastic trombone player. In 1959 on leaving the Navy, I enlisted in the Air Force and was assigned to an element of the Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. A request for volunteer musicians from the other three service bands went out to perform for the grave side services at Arlington National Cemetery where 14 of the musicians were to be laid to rest. I was a member of that band that cold day these men were buried. All fourteen were laid to rest, in two vertical lines of 7 coffins, side be side as I recall. In the days preceding the service there was snow and very cold temperatures. That particular day the wind was running about 10 to 15 MPH and the ground had about 8 inches of frozen snow. We were in place near the burial site about an hour prior to the arrival of the hearses. We began playing hymns around 30 minutes prior to start of the service. I can say without a doubt, that was one of the coldest, roughly 2 + hours, I have ever experienced in my life. But, if called on today, I would again volunteer to play music for these terrific souls we laid to rest that day. I often think of Mr. Fultz, Roger Wilklow and the other men who had life aspirations just like the rest of us. It is sad and tragic their lives were cut short. God Bless them.