Soldier Honored: Brendan J. Duffy

Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Brendan J. Duffy, of Annapolis, Maryland, was assigned to the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. He was assigned to the unit the VAQ-130Zappers, an electric warfare squadron that jams enemy radar to open a path for attack jets. Lt. Duffy sacrificed his life in the line of duty on November 8, 1998 when his EA-6B Prowler jet crashed during a nighttime training exercise off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. Three others were also killed in the incident. He was 27 years old.

Lt. Duffy graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1990 and the University of Virginia in 1995 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Commissioned through the Navy’s Reserve Officer Training Corps, he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1995. Lt. Duffy went on to flight school in Pensacola, Florida, aspiring to be a naval aviator just as his father had done. “He was extremely proud of what he was doing and felt like he was making a significant contribution to his country,” his dad said. “He was pursing his life-long dream.”