Lieutenant (j.g.) Roy D. Varner, USN, has left us and “put out to sea.”  On the night of March 18, 1959, Lt. Varner died as a result of an aircraft accident at Alameda Naval Air Station, California.  Behind him remains a history of a man, devoted to his country, his family, and friends. 

Lieutenant Varner, better known to us as Sonny, was born in Maywood, California on June 23, 1932.  His boyhood was spent in Coronado, California, where he graduated from high school in 1951.  While in high school he was a guard on the football team and a letterman for three years.  It was at the age of 17 that Sonny made his first steps toward a military career, which he so greatly desired, by joining the Naval Reserve.  After completing his secondary education, Sonny tried to gain entrance to one of the Service academies by first attending Boyden's Prep School in San Diego, and then Hilder Prep in Washington, D.C.  Returning to California he entered San Diego State University for one year, and then was able to join our class at West Point in July of 1953.  Prior to coming to the Academy, Sonny had maintained his Naval Reserved status, both in a Surface Division and a Submarine Division.

Sonny was with us in the 5th New Cadet Company, and Company D-2.  By June of 1954 the Spanish Department had proven too much for him and Sonny suffered a great personal defeat in having to leave WestPoint.  It was not easy for him to go; it was not easy for many of us to see him depart.

This was not to be the end of his efforts to enter the Service of his country, though.  Sonny was accepted into the Naval Aviation Cadet program in September 1954 and trained at Pensacola and Corpus Christi.  A milestone in his career was attained when he graduated and was commissioned an Ensign, USNR, in September 1956.  His first duty stations were at Coronado and San Diego, flying jets for the Navy.  In September 1957, he was promoted to Lt. (j.g.) USNR, and in August 1958 received his appointment in the Regular Navy.  On March 6, 1959 Sonny was transferred to Alameda NAS, California, where he was serving at the time of his fatal accident.  A memorial service was held for him on the 23rd of March at the Alameda Naval Chapel, and he was laid to rest on April 10th at Arlington National Cemetery.

When Sonny left the Academy, he did not forget the friends he made there.  When our class traveled to Eglin AFB, Florida, during Second Class summer, he was there to visit with us.  In September of 1956, as a new Ensign, he returned to West Point to see his class.

Sonny and his wife Eleanore were married at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in New Canaan, Connecticut, on October 13, 1956.  Their marriage was a very rewarding one for them.  Richard Scott was born on October 11, 1957, and Wayne William joined the family on December 15, 1958.  Were Sonny with his family today, he would be happy to know that he would be a father a third time in November of this year.  Besides his own family, Sonny is survived by his mother, Mrs. Betty V. Davids, his father, Mr. Roy D. Varner, Sr., and his sister, Jane.

One can see from his history that Sonny possessed a great desire to have a career serving his country.  He always acted in a manner to make that desire a reality.  His commanders thought highly of him.  One states, “During the months that Lieutenant Varner was attached to this command (Attack Squadron 126), I found him to be exceptionally competent and hardworking.  He  .  .  .  was admired and respected by his seniors and the men assigned to him for supervision.”  Another of his commanding officers wrote, “Lieutenant (j.g.) Varner was an outstanding officer and Naval Aviator who always did more than his share of the squadron’s work.  He voluntarily worked many extra hours on his own to further the combat readiness of the squadron and performing his duties as legal officer.  His keen interest and eagerness to excel in all phases of carrier aviation won him the respect of us who knew him . . .  His loss was a great shock to us all.  We not only lost a good shipmate and aviator, but a very good friend.”

His mother wrote perhaps the best personal description of Sonny’s character.  “Sonny was a very kind and considerate person and lover life and people . . . . [He was] very happy, and lived to fly his plane . . . . [He] was very devoted to his wife and boys, and all who knew Sonny loved him . . .his passing is not only a loss to us, his family, but to the world.”

We, his classmates, found Sonny to be a most personable individual.  His love of living and his fine sense of humor was an inspiration at a time when many of us tended to become downhearted.  From what his commanders have written, it seems obvious that Sonny, although at the Academy only a short time, took away with him many of the characteristics embodied in our code of Duty, Honor, and Country.