On March 11, 2013 Lt. J.G. Will B. McIlvaine (2006) , Lt. Valerie Delaney and Lt. Cmdr. Alan Patterson perished in a crash during a VAQ-129 Squadron training mission that originated at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor WA. Phelps McIlvaine (1971) is raising money for a new public Prowler Memorial to honor William and all others who gave their lives during operations of the EA6-B Prowler. The City of Oak Harbor recently voted to accept the memorial and finalized a downtown waterfront location along the City’s “Walk of Honor.” The dedication is expected sometime in 2016.
The memorial will be linked by QR Code to a website dedicated to the lives and careers of 47 US Navy and US Marines honored on the memorial. The preliminary site is www.prowlermemorial.org.
You can read one of several recent articles about the memorial here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/article22310502.html
or watch a recent national news story here:
http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/04/21/whidbey-nas-odessa-prowler-crash-memorial-will-mcilvaine/26147811/
The memorial design was inspired the Herndon Memorial on the grounds of the US Naval Academy that Will’s plebe class had to climb in 2007. The Grumman EA6-B Prowler will be officially retired from service by the US Navy in 2015 and the US Marines in 2016.
Phelps S. McILvaine
1971