Hervey S. Stockman ’44

Herv Stockman, a great American patriot who was of great service to his country, died Feb. 22, 2011, in Albuquerque, N.M.

At Princeton, Herv earned numerals in freshman football and baseball. He entered the Army Air Corps a few weeks after Dec. 7, 1941. A P-51 pilot on D-Day, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and five air medals, spent five postwar years working for GM, and returned to active duty in 1951.

He was the first American to fly a U-2 over Russia, which he did on July 4, 1956. Ten years later he flew F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam, had a midair collision, and became Princeton’s only POW for almost six years in Hanoi. He received two silver stars, two Legion of Merit awards, and two Distinguished Flying Cross medals.  

Upon his return to his beloved Sally in 1973, the town of Princeton and the University declared his visit Hervey Stockman Day. At our 50th reunion, Herv, who retired from the Air Force as a colonel, spoke about his time as a POW — an emotional experience for him and all in attendance.

Sally and Herv were accomplished artists who set up a Stockman Family Foundation for the Arts.

Herv is survived by his son, Hervey Jr. ’68; a brother and a sister; and three grandchildren, including Allison ’96. Godspeed, Herv, to the wild blue yonder.