MARGARET WILKINSON CROWEVietnam CAPT, Nurses Corps
THOMAS E. (TOM) WITTY, Jr. (deceased) LCDR
23
COAST GUARD
ALAN CUSTER served 4 yrs.
JIM LOWELL
2
Honoring CNC's First Decade Veterans: Navy and Coast Guard
Part 1
Updated November 27, 2020
by A. Jane Chambers
Parts 1 & 2of this series honored CNC's 61 First Decaders who served in our nation's Army and also the two killed in action (KIA): Ric Bahr (Army) and Pat Giguere (Marines). This article honors the 23 First Decaders who served in the Navy and 2 who served in the Coast Guard, plus our first CNC president--H. Westcott (Scotty) Cunningham (Navy). The last article in the series will honor our Air Force and Marine Corps veterans and CNC's second President--James C. (Jim) Windsor (Marines).
Scotty Cunningham (family photo), a Navy lieutenant in WW2., served two years in the Pacific commanding a PT (Patrol and Torpedo) boat, when John F. Kennedy, whom he knew, was doing the same in his PT 109. It was very hazardous duty; many men and boats were lost. Cunningham served again during the Korean War, but having contracted malaria in the southwest Pacific, he couldn't fight in Korea; instead he served as a military briefer at the Pentagon. From 1953 through 1970, he was also an active member of the Naval Reserve, retiring at the rank of Captain. Our website's tab ARCHIVES, sub tab FIRST DECADE HISTORY, has more information about Scotty's military experience.
Internet drawing of ELCO style PT boat.
Link to Christopher Newport University home page: http://cnu.edu
