More detail on this person: Commander Norman
E. Schrader Jr., USN (Ret.), "Norm", 71, of
Pensacola, Florida, passed away on August 24,
2009 in Atlanta, GA., while visiting his children.
Norm passed out while driving south on I-75 with
his daughter Elizabeth. She noticed that Norm was
short of breath moments before he passed out and
tried to take control of the vehicle. After
traveling more than a mile she determined that her
only option to stop the car was to rear end a
truck. Norm died at the scene. Elizabeth suffered
only minor injuries. No one in the second car was
seriously injured. Norm was born in 1937 in
Brooklyn, New York, graduated from Hempstead
High School in NY and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in
1956. During boot camp he was selected for the
Naval Cadet program. He received his commission
and designation as a Naval Aviator in 1958. In
1968 he volunteered for duty with Helicopter
Attack Squadron (Light) Three. At that time
HA(L)-3 was the Navy's only gunship squadron. He
served with Det 5 from 3 April 68 to June 69 and
flew 404 combat missions. In 1972 he returned to
Vietnam with HS-7 to provide anti-submarine
support for the USS Saratoga and the Seventh Fleet
in the Gulf of Tonkin. This tour ended in December
1972. In 1974 Norm assumed command of
Helicopter Training Squadron 18 at NAS Whiting
Field in Milton, FL. He retired as a commander at
Whiting in 1977. Following retirement from the
Navy, he was base manager and flew for Air
Logistics in Venice, LA for 17 years. In
retirement Norm enjoyed serving as a volunteer at
the National Museum of Naval Aviation and with the
Blue Angels. He also served in the Volunteers in
Public Service with the Gulf Breeze Police
Department. He is survived by his beloved wife of
49 years, Felicia (Fifi) of Pensacola, daughters
Susan Luciano and Elizabeth Schrader and son
Daniel Schrader. A funeral Mass was held in late
August at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church in
Pensacola. He is interred at Barrancas National
Cemetery in Pensacola.
From: Walt Lester and Senior Chief Bill Rutledge
who served in HA(L)-3 Det 8.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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