( Reply from Capt. Alford about Admiral Aurand ) 

That is an interesting story on my fine Naval Academy classmate Evan Peter
Aurand. I got to know him well during the summer of 1935 when as plebes we
scrubbed and holystoned the wooden decks of the old battleship ARKANSAS
while on the annual midshipman cruise to Europe. At USNA he was smart as
hell but somewhat non-reg, and got a lot of demerits for which he did extra
duty marching with a rifle on his shoulder. With surnames starting with A
we were frequently in classes and other activities together. He was a great
friend, affable, funloving and loyal. Graduating in 1938 and commissioned
as ensigns we went our separate ways, he to aviation and I to surface ships
mostly DDs.

Our paths crossed only once in 1959 when we met in Newport, RI where I was
Assistanf Chief of Staff for the Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet and
planning the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. He was representing Prez.
Eisenhower as his naval aide and as you know our prez met the Queen for the
official opening ceremonies. It was a great occasion. I had planned it and
I was there.

When Pete Aurand was named naval aide to Prez Eisenhower we knew he was  a
shoo-in to make flag rank. There was a reason for it. The father of Pete
Aurand was Lt.Gen Henry S. Aurand, West Point Class of 1915, the same class
as Dwight Eisenhower who was forty -one numbers lower in standing. We shall
never know who influenced who the most. While we classmates of Pete joshed
with him over his "political pull" and right connections we knew he would
never have been selected as naval aide and for flagrank if he had not had
the right stuff. None of we classmates ever questioned or begrudged his
promotions, In fact we were very proud of him, 

Vice Admiral Evan Peter Aurand retired in October 1972. Among his
decorations were the Navy Cross, the Legion of Merit and two Distinguished
Flying Crosses. He died in Honolulu, HI in June 1989. RIP

Thought you folks would be interested.  

Lodwick Alford