Hampton street named in memory of Sgt. Desiree Loy: ‘Long overdue honor’

HAMPTON — If retired Hampton Academy music teacher Sheila Nudd could speak to former student Sgt. Desiree Loy one last time, Nudd would’ve told Loy she loves her.

“And she (Loy) would’ve said, ‘Yeah, I know,’” joked Nudd.

Loy, a Hampton native and Winnacunnet High School graduate, was a 26-year-old refueling boom operator on a KC-135 Stratotanker when her plane crashed during a training exercise in 1985.

The town has a long history of naming streets after fallen soldiers and thanks to Nudd’s persistence there is now a street named in honor of Loy. Although it has been three years since the completion of Loy Drive, located across from Jeffrey Drive, the street was never commemorated – until now.

Friends, family and residents along Loy Drive filled the street’s entrance Friday, May 19 for the unveiling of the sign. Around 40 airmen from Pease Air National Guard Base and members of the American Legion Post 35 also joined the ceremony, paying their respects and honoring Loy’s memory.

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Linda Libbey, who is a part of the Hampton Academy and Winnacunnet Alumni Association, said the memorial was a “long overdue honor.”

She also credits Nudd for making it happen.

“She (Nudd) has been the champion of her memory all these years,” added Libbey.

Nudd was close to Loy when she taught her music class in grades 5-8, then reconnected with Loy after she graduated high school in 1977.

Nudd described Loy as “a good person” who had a difficult childhood. Loy grew up without a father and as a teacher, Nudd stepped in, forming a special bond with Loy that lasted until the day she died.

“She was struggling,” recalled Nudd. “At that age and in that time during the '70s, it would be so easy to get on the wrong path. She needed someone extra in her life … she needed a little bit more attention.”

According to Nudd, Loy was very active in school. She was part of many extracurriculars including starting a recycling program at Hampton Academy in 1972. In her senior year, Loy was voted “most talkative,” an award that fits her bubbly personality, Nudd said.

After graduating high school, Loy joined the Air National Guard, becoming part of the 157th Air Refueling Wing in the 133rd Air Refueling Squadron.

Boom operators, sometimes just called "booms," are responsible for refueling an aircraft mid-air from inside a refueling tanker. Loy told Nudd she joined the Air National Guard to follow in her mother's footsteps, as she was a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

Nudd recalled having lunch with Loy just three weeks before she died. The crash took place during an exercise over Beale Air Force Base in California, the result of two engines failing on the plane.

The news was devastating for Nudd, who immediately called Loy's mother.

"I was thinking, 'It's not my Desiree,'" said Nudd.

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Among the 40 airmen in attendance were Chief Mike Girouard, who said that it is important to honor Loy’s service and sacrifice.

“I think it’s really special,” he said of the memorial. “It’s not often that we lose a member. This memorial is coming into fruition from the hard work of Staff Sgt. Daren Hayes and Loy’s teacher Sheila Nudd.”

Airmen at the Pease Air National Guard Base fought for Loy to be memorialized since she was the only boom operator in their group's history to ever die in the line of duty. In the summer of 2017, the Loy Auditorium at the Pease Air National Guard Base was dedicated in her name.

Nudd has been waiting for a memorial in her hometown since 2018 when she first pushed town officials for a street to be named after Loy.

“I’ve been fighting back tears for a week,” said Nudd. “Desiree has no living relatives, nobody to say her name again. That’s why this is so important.”

Loy's mother, Joann, died in 2010. According to her obituary, she “was proudest of her daughter Desiree who lost her life in the Air Force.”

Joann left Nudd with Loy's Meritorious Service Medal with its ribbon and certificate, as well as her burial flag.

During her speech, Nudd said Loy had left a mark in the hearts of many.

“She just added to everybody’s life,” she said. “She was just an inspiration.”

Winnacunnet School Board member Leslie Lafond recalled her fondest memory with Loy as they were both part of The Pony Club.

“It’s a small town to grow up in and you all know each other – (Loy) just had that personality that you were drawn to,” said Lafond. “We would throw a backpack on, take our horses out and ride through Rye, North Hampton, stop and have a picnic – we’d take off at 7 a.m. and come home at 6 p.m.”

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Bill Buddenhhen, a veteran and long-time resident of Hampton, moved into Loy’s former house and as a member of the Air National Guard flew with two pilots that knew Loy.

“I never really knew her,” he said. “But it’s like we’re connected.”

High school classmate and cheerleading partner Deborah Duchemin-Brown described Loy as a "bubbly, friendly and strong person."

Her favorite memory with Loy? "There was a group of us girls and we wanted to see how many of us could fit into a car,” she said. “So we just squished ourselves in there and laughed and laughed and laughed."

When Duchemin-Brown thinks of Loy, it's “happy memories” that come to mind.

“Because she passed so young, I remember her vividly in that way,” she said. “I don’t picture her old and passing.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton NH street named in memory of Sgt. Desiree Loy