Rich Leonard,

My Dad more than knows your Dad. In addition to their early WWII
connection, he was your Dad's Air Boss when your Dad skippered RANGER
(CVA-61) during the early 1960s.

Like your Dad launching from YORKTOWN during Midway, my Dad was the last /
one of the last to launch from LEX before she was unable to continue flight
ops during Coral Sea. Hard to tell, though - as Dad says - because of the
confusion / "fog" surrounding that segment of the engagement.

I don't believe he encountered your Dad again until RANGER.

Other stuff in Dad's career included General Line School at NPS Monterey; an
exchange tour with the Blue Suiters at Willow Run AFB (MI); command of VA-93
at NAS Alameda (first West Coast A-4 outfit - A4D-1s (A-4As), A4D-2s
(A-4Bs)); CAG-9 OPS Officer; temporary command of VF-122 (F3H-1s) at NAS
Miramar; NAS Alameda OPS Officer and a twilight tour with HQ USEUCOM in
Paris. He retired as a CDR in 1965.

Dad and Mom are still kicking, living in Mountain View, CA - close enough so
I can keep an eye on them.

--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"Rich" wrote in message
om...
"Mike Kanze" wrote in message
...
BZ to your Dad, Rich.

Interesting to note they were cruisemates on the old LEX and the BIG E
during 1942. What is his full name?

Dad probably knows (or knows of) him, since the PAC FLT VF community was
very small in those days. One could honestly say, as Dad often has, that
one "knew every fighter pilot in the Pacific Fleet" back then.

--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't.
Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.

My father, Bill Leonard, was only briefly aboard Lexington, Enterprise
and Hornet. He had one landing and launch from Lexington just before
the Coral Sea action. Enterprise landings and launches were after
Midway where Yorktown was lost, as were those on Hornet. He piloted
one of the last planes launched from Yorktown (into the teeth of a
Japanese torpedo plane attack, shooting down one B5N) and landed on
Enterprise after that action. His plane was re-fueled and armed and
he was sent back up to fly what turned out to be the last CAP over
Yorktown. As night approached on the June 4th he landed back aboard
Enterprise. The next day, he, and almost all the Yorktown VF-3 and
VF-42 pilots refugeed on Enterprise were sent over to Hornet where
they operated under Jimmy Thach in a squadron everyone jokingly
referred to as VF-3-42-8. Dad retired a RAdm in 1971.

Rich