Primary Menu

Skip to content

Home
- About
- Semper Paratus
The Academy
- CGA Facebook Page
- USCG Facebook Page
In Memoriam
Ephemera
Memories
My Academy Years
Post Graduation
- Class Reunions
- R-Day + 50
50th Reunion
- 50th Reunion Yearbook
- 50th Reunion Yearbook Supplement

Tom Bernard

$Of \"Kid KO\" classmate John Murphy relates the following: \"Richard \"Kid KO\" Defeo was my good friend and swab summer roommate. He hailed from Massapequa, NY. He was a quiet, modest cadet but a hellava jock. He was the starting shortstop on the varsity baseball team as a swab, and also set the record for the Pensacola Obstacle Course (so they said) which we all ran in the sand on a day trip from CATU. He was so far out in front that day that I could not believe my eyes. (He got his nickname from destroying an upperclassman in an official gloves-on boxing match in the head. I forget who it was.) Second class summer we took our leave first, and he met a girl on L.I. Our next activity that summer was supposed to be a trip to Governors Island for \"Districts,\" but when we returned from leave, we discovered the trip had been changed to NOLA. I guess he had made plans to see the girl while in NY; he was so mad he resigned on the spot. They kept him in a room at the Academy for four more weeks to \"think it over,\" but he walked out the gate at the end of the four weeks. Just wanted to pay tribute to my friend. - John Murphy\" Bernard Defeo Murphy$

$December 21, 1968 at Bob and Pat Brodie\'s wedding: Al Boetig, Tom Bernard, Rich Keig$ $April 1969. Tom Bernard, Branford, CT, Yale Yacht Club; \"Tom\'s Finest Hour\"$