Lt. Cmdr. Harvey Herzog, USN (Ret), 76, a former resident of Oak Harbor, died Jan. 20, 2003, in Chicago following a lengthy illness.
Lt. Cmdr. Herzog was born Nov. 14, 1926, in New York City to Stephen and Mary Herzog. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943 at the age of 17 and after 26 years of service, retired as a lieutenant commander.
He was stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station from 1957 to 1968. At NAS Whidbey he was attached to VAH-123, VAH-128 Replacement Air Group and served as a COMFAIR Whidbey Attack training officer at CINPACFLT Attack Readiness, HATU-PAC Heavy Attack Training Unit Pacific as well as continuing to fly as a bombardier navigator. Many in the military community here still remember him as Harvey “Hot-Dog” Herzog.
Lt. Cmdr. Herzog participated in World War II as a combat aircrewman in Patrol Bombing Squadron 18. During 1945 he participated as a radioman in 16 combat missions operating from Okinawa, supported by the seaplane tender USS St. George.
He was a member of Patrol Squadron 42, flying in PBM Mariner seaplanes, during two deployments in Korea. In July, 1956 he was appointed ensign, United States Navy, and was designated naval flight officer on the A3D Skywarrior aircraft.
At the time of the Vietnam Conflict, he served three Vietnam deployments in Heavy Attack Squadron Eight, the USS Midway Carrier Air Group Two and the USS Constellation Carrier Air Group 15. He served as a training officer until his retirement.
During his Naval career, Lt. Cmdr. Herzog flew in a wide variety of aircraft including attack planes, some of which were the A3, A3D A6, A6A and the A6B Intruder, patrol planes including PBY5A, PB4Y2, PBJ, and electronic attack planes. His career paralleled the development of military aircraft for more than 25 years. Herzog received numerous medals, citations and commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Asiatic Pacific for his courageous service. Lt. Cmdr. Herzog retired from the United States Navy Jan. 1, 1970.
Following retirement, Lt. Cmdr. Herzog settled in Chicago where for many years he was founder and president of H H Sales, a telecommunication company he started during the years of computer technology.
In 1995, Herzog served three years as the commodore of the Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago. During his service as commodore for the club, various former Navy men, now retired, who were concerned that the countless acts of courage under fire of enlisted naval aircrew men had gone almost totally unheralded, contacted Lt. Cmdr. Herzog. He and his colleagues, together with other volunteers, created the Enlisted Combat Aircrew Roll of Honor, located on board the USS Yorktown, berthed at Patriots Point Navel and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, SC. Lt. Cmdr. Herzog served as a founding member of the selection board of the newly established award.
The Roll of Honor is for lasting recognition of the gallantry and self-sacrifice displayed by the many enlisted combat aircrew men who teamed with their pilots, in whom they entrusted their fate, to engage the enemy in the air, on land and on the sea. It is to insure forever that their valiant deeds are neither diminished, nor lost in the annals of naval aviation history. Lt. Cmdr. Herzog was inducted into the Roll of Honor on Nov. 11, 1997, for his service in both World War II and Korea.
He is survived by his wife Cheri Herzog; his children, Stephen Herzog, Mark Herzog, Donna Herzog-O’Neill and their mother Jean Carol Herzog; two daughters-in-law, Sarah Britton Herzo, and Kate Scott Herzog, son-in-law, Dr. David O’Neill and five grand daughters, Catherine, Elizabeth, Madeleine Dana and Amy.
Memorial services will be held at The Columbia Yacht Club, Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Harvey Herzog Endowment Fund at Patriots Point Foundation, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464-4377 or The Association of Naval Aviation Foundation at 2550 Huntington Avenue, Suite 201, Alexandria, VA 22303-1499.
