Frederick W. Wright III – Commander, United States Navy

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July 11, 1936 – November 10, 1972

From a contemporary news report:

 

“A full military burial was held for Navy Commander Frederick W. Wright III at Arlington National Cemetery on December 18, 1990, nearly eighteen years after the Haworth native was reported missing in action in Vietnam. A career officer, Commander Wright was 36 years old when he was reported missing and believed killed during a combat cruise in the Western Pacific.

“In September of this year the Vietnamese government released the remains of several servicemen to the U.S. Commander Wright was identified last week.

“He grew up on Sylvan Avenue in Haworth and played on the football team at Tenefly High School. The family lived in the area until the late fifties. After joining the Naval ROTC at Iowa State University, he was commissioned an Ensign in the Navy in 1958. He was a pilot and participted in numerous deployments, including the Cuban Quarantine in 1962. He later became a flight instructor.

“He made two combat cruises to Southeast Asia before he was killed. During his career, he was awarded the Bronze Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals, the Navy Achievement Award, the Vietnamese Cross and, posthumously, the Purple Heart.

He is survived by his wife, DorothyRose Primm Wright, a daughter, Cynthia Wright Covington, and a son, Frederick Williston Wright, IV, and his parents (now deceased) and two sisters.

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