Commander Frederick R. Lafferty, Jr. Obituary

A Sheer Force of Nature swept out of this Universe on the evening of July 7, 2023. Commander Frederick R. Lafferty, Jr. USN (Ret) died at his ranch north of Santa Rita, New Mexico, surrounded by his three daughters and a beloved granddaughter.

Fred was born March 31, 1926, on the Presidio of San Francisco into a fourth-generation military family steeped in US Cavalry traditions.

After appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1944 and graduation in 1949, his first orders were to crew the Yawl Resolute in the 1949 Newport to Bermuda Yacht Race.

In his next major accomplishment, he married the beautiful Elizabeth Louise Vissering, daughter of one of Eisenhower’s generals, in the chapel at the Naval Communications Station in Washington, D.C., on August 20, 1949.

The couple then proceeded to Corpus Christi, Texas, for Fred’s flight training in F4U fighters. He returned to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla., for carrier qualifications and received his cherished wings of gold on March 31, 1950.

Reporting to Commander Naval Air Pacific, Fred completed two cruises to Korean waters, flying Corsairs aboard the USS Sicily and USS Bairoko, serving tours of duty with Air-Antisubmarine Squadron Twenty-One. That was followed by an assignment with Air Transport Squadron 5, where he assisted in establishing ComNavAirPac’s first carrier-on-board delivery school. Then followed three years of flight instructor duty at NAAS Kingsville, Texas.

In 1957, Fred began training as a Nuclear Weapons Supervisor at the Armed Forces Special Weapons School, Albuquerque, NM. Subsequently he served two shipboard tours in the Pacific and an assignment with headquarters 13th Air Force, Clark Air Force Base, Philippine Islands.

He then served a tour as special weapons officer NAS Whidbey Island, Washington; and as staff logistics officer ComNav Marianas, Guam.

His final orders were to the Defense Atomic Support Agency, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., as head of the Nuclear Weapons Safety Division, from which he retired in 1969.

During the course of his career, Fred flew and was qualified as Command Pilot in the following aircraft:  SNJs Texan, TBMs, Avengers, SNBs, AF (Guardians), F6Fs, Hellcats, F8Fs, Bearcats, S2Fs, ADs SkyRaiders, and Air Force B25s.

Fred was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and five Campaign Medals.