Alfred Wilstam

October 6, 1914 - July 7, 1943

Lieutenant Commander Alfred Wilstam was killed July 7, in an airplane accident eleven days after sailing from San Diego according to notice received by his father Alfred Wilstam, 825 Stratford Avenue, from Rear Admiral Ralph Davison.

A native of South Pasadena, the young officer was born October 6, 1914 at the family home on Stratford. He attended the schools of this city graduating from the South Pasadena-San Marino High School with the class of 1932. He was a member of the Honor Society that year, and was active in football and baseball. He then took an engineering course at California Institute of Technology.

Besides his father, he leaves his mother and a step-sister, Mrs Stanley Olson of Van Nuys. He had been in the Navy several years and leaves a wife and two children at Coronado, where he was stationed before being assigned to the South Pacific a few weeks ago. 

After attending South Pasadena schools and Caltech, he enlisted in the Navy taking his flight training at Pensacola, Florida where he received his wings and commission as an ensign. He served for a time on a cruiser which visited Australia, Indian, and a number of other Pacific countries. Returning to San Diego, he was married in 1938 to Dorothy Dean Hunt. He served two and a half years in the Hawaiian Islands, being based at Honolulu, then returned to San Diego, to be attached to the Naval Aviation Station there. He purchased a home in Coronado and remained there until late in June when he was sent to the South Pacific.

In notifying the family of the death, Rear Admiral Ralph Davison wrote that Commander Wilstam had achieved a splendid record in naval aviation, having flown more than 2700 hours as a naval aviator.

"He was held in high esteem by his associates and his loss is a particularly severe one to the service and to our country," Admiral Davison stated.

South Pasadena Review, August 13, 1943

Military Service

Rank:  Lieutenant Commander

Combat Organization:  US Navy

Death Date:  July 7, 1943

Buried:  Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California