HENRY URBAN OBITUARY

Aug. 22, 1925 - Oct. 1, 2011 SOUTH BEND - Henry Urban Jr. was the Commanding Officer of VA55, an A-4 Skyhawk attack squadron, aboard the USS Ticonderoga in 1964 when President Lyndon Johnson ordered retaliatory air strikes against North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Hank led his squadron in one of the first air strikes on North Vietnam, destroying 25 PT boats and an oil storage depot. His squadron received a Navy Unit Citation and was designated as the best light jet attack squadron in the Pacific Fleet for 1964.

He was promoted to Commander of Air Group 11 on the USS Kitty Hawk and returned to Vietnam for two more combat tours flying F-4 Phantoms in 1966 and 1967. On USS Kitty Hawk he commanded 87 airplanes and 1,700 officers and enlisted personnel, and was responsible for planning hundreds of air operations in support of ground troops in South Vietnam and raids against heavily defended North Vietnamese targets. While CAPT Urban was Commander of Air Group 11, the USS Kitty Hawk received the Presidential and Navy Unit citations for excellence.

During his three carrier tours in Vietnam he flew over 150 combat sorties. Enlisting during WW II in 1943 at the age of 17, he earned his commission and flight wings in 1946, CAPT Urban served a distinguished 31-year career in the U.S. Navy, retiring in 1974. During his Navy career he was awarded the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, six Distinguished Flying Crosses, Eleven Air Medals, and four Navy Commendation Medals. He was also the recipient of the China Service Medal and various World War II, Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War service ribbons. He flew over 25 types of planes, landed on 13 different Aircraft Carriers, logged over 6,000 flight hours, made over 700 carrier landings, and survived three major plane crashes.

Following his Navy career he worked as an executive in the banking industry in northern Virginia for 14 years.

Henry Urban Jr. was born on 22 August 1925 to Henry and Anna Urban in South Bend, Indiana. His father worked for the Studebaker Corporation.

Hank graduated from Washington High School in South Bend before joining the Navy. He earned college credits throughout his Navy career including attending the Navy War College in Newport, RI, in 1959/60 and as a Navy exchange student to the Air Force War College in Montgomery, AL 1965/66, culminating in a BBA in Management from George Washington University in 1971. He had lived in Fairfax, VA, since 1968, was an active parishioner of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus Council #6292 where he was a 4th Degree Knight and served as treasurer for over 25 years. Henry Urban Jr. passed away in Fairfax Hospital with his family around him on Saturday, 1 October. He was unresponsive after a fall at home the night before, and he never regained consciousness.

Hank Urban is survived by his wife of 60 years, Florence H. (Schweida) Urban of Atlantic City, NJ. He is also survived by his seven children, Bruce Urban (Sheila) of Herndon, VA, Karen McBride of Oak Island, NC, Gary Urban (Jill) of Fairfax, VA, Allen Urban (Barbara) of Fairfax, VA, Kevin Urban (Carlota) of Fairfax Station, VA, Susan Casas (Giordano) of Naperville, IL, and Scott Urban (wife Dee Dee) of Herndon, VA. He was proudly known as PoP PoP to 21 grandchildren.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Oct. 6, 2011

05/26/2023 EJS

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/southbendtribune/name/henry-urban-obituary?id=13679060