SALEM - Neil Jay Paxson, 84, died January 10, 2025, at his home following a brief illness. He was born November 28, 1940, son of the late Chester "Al" Paxson and Margaret (DeWan) Paxson.
Neil was a 1959 graduate of Salem High School. He enlisted in the Navy in December 1959 and served four years. He was a sonar technician and achieved the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. Based out of Norfolk, VA, he served aboard the Navy destroyers, the USS Lowry initially and then the USS Hank. In early 1962, with United States' increasing concerns over Cuba and their relations with Russia, the Navy began extensive training along the Atlantic coastline and in the Caribbean. By the fall of 1962, U.S. intelligence discovered that Russia was secretly deploying ballistic missiles and sending submarines to Cuba. This event, known as the Cuban missile crisis, resulted in dramatic action taken by U.S. military forces upon the orders of President John F. Kennedy. The U.S. response was a naval "quarantine" o

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