William Horace "Slim" Somerville, Sr.
Commander, U.S. Navy
William H. Somerville was born on 26 January 1927, in Jameson, MO, to John R. and Edna C. (Doll) Somerville. Slim graduated from Jameson High School in 1943 and went on to attend the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO, the first person from his hometown to go to college.
After one year at Mizzou, Slim enlisted in the Navy. He was working in a dead letter mailroom in Pensacola, FL, when he stumbled across his acceptance letter to the U.S. Naval Academy. He had 36 hours to report to Annapolis, MD.
He graduated from the Naval Academy with the Class of 1949 and was commissioned an Ensign in the regular Navy. Slim was ordered to flight training where he received his Naval Aviator Wings of Gold and established a lasting love for flying. He participated in commissioning a new Patrol Squadron, VP-9, in March 1951. The squadron deployed to Alaska, flying 4-engine, P4Y-2 aircraft, patrolling along the Aleutian Chain and Bering Sea. Within three months, the squadron had three major accidents in which 26 pilots and crewmen were killed.
A year later VP-9 was deployed to Japan and Korea where, in addition to patrols throughout the whole area, it conducted flare-drop missions along supply routes and the front lines of the battlefields. On 26 November 1952, Slim was designated a Patrol Plane Commander.
While assigned to Heavy Attack Squadron Six, VAH-6, Slim flew A-3 Skywarrior aircraft from USS Ranger. In 1963, he flew A-6 Intruder aircraft from USS Enterprise in the world's first nuclear-powered task force when USS Long Beach and USS Bainbridge joined Enterprise for operations.
On 31 July, this task force was designated Task Force One and sent on "Operation Sea Orbit," a historic 30,565-mile voyage around the world accomplished without a single refueling or replenishment. Slim's distinguished flying career in the Navy ended following duty at Whidbey Island Air Station with the Squadron VAH-123, a fleet pilot replacement training unit for heavy attack aviation. He also taught economics at the Naval Academy.
During his Navy assignments, he and his family lived in San Diego, CA; Coronado, CA; Monterey, CA; Oak Harbor, WA; Norfolk, VA; Pensacola, FL; and Stuttgart, Germany. He lived in Arlington, VA, for the last 40 years of his life.
Slim was a 30-year career veteran, serving during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He retired as a Commander.
After his retirement from the Navy, Slim worked briefly for several defense contractors in Cost Analysis before fully retiring. He then served the community as a volunteer for the Virginia Hospital Center's addiction treatment programs.
Slim was a pilot and Certified Flight Instructor for 20 years. He shared his passion for aviation with his wife and taught her to fly in their Cessna airplane. He was also a docent at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and the Steven Udvar Hazy Center for 25 years. In his spare time, he taught math as a high school substitute teacher in Arlington County and taught math during summer school.
Commander William H. "Slim" Somerville, a dedicated family man, patient teacher, sponsor and adviser, who had a passion for aviation throughout his life, died on 23 April 2012 at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. He was 85.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Helen Somerville, who loved him dearly and took care of him throughout his life. He is also survived by three children, Sydney Brandt and husband, Jeff, of Arlington, VA; Susan Moon of Kahoka, MO; William Somerville Jr., and his wife, Susan, of Fairfax, VA; six grandchildren, Zander, Kate, Audrey, Maggie, Neal and Nell; and a sister, Barbara Foley, of Kansas City, MO.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Jack, and one grandson, William Moon.
Military services were held on Thursday, 26 July 2012, at 9 AM in the Old Post Chapel, Building #335, 204 Lee Avenue, Fort Myer, VA, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery. A reception followed at the O'Club.
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