A Carroll “Lex” LeFon Primer

Who was Carroll LeFon?

The best description of Lex that I’ve heard is “Imagine Hemingway flew fighters…and liked people.”

MCRD

Before I left for San Diego last week, I learned that one of the Lexicans has a son who was to graduate at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. A couple of us Lexicans wanted to meet him there.

I had always seen the entrance there at the base of Washington Street – right next to Lindbergh Field. It appeared like it gained entrance to a small facility.

Appeared.

I thought it looked strange to see a parked 757 literally feet from the fence.

And I thought that there would be 100-200 parents and family that would be in bleachers like a Little League game. That the Lexican would be easy to find.

After going through a thorough search, Marine Corps style (no pictures were allowed) I gained entrance and was I in for a surprise.

The bleachers, nearly full, were more befitting of a small stadium.

The parade ground alone could be used as a runway!

And when I saw the “bleachers” and how full they were, it was obvious that I would be watching this ceremony by myself.

It looked like there were a thousand or 2 Marines all standing out there at parade rest, but I learned later that there were 488 graduates.

I have always felt that a pass in review, with all of the soldiers or Marines in perfect harmony and precision, is a thing of beauty to watch, and they did not disappoint.

Anyway, congratulations after that long road to becoming a Marine.

 

PacNorWest Booming

By lex, on August 18th, 2010

Supersonic shock waves are hard for a Cessna 180 tricked out with floats to generate all by itself. Sometimes it needs help:

Frozen North Travelogue – Day 2

By lex, on April 30th, 2007

It is, I believe, a virtual certainty that no one has ever live-blogged an Operations Analysis/Research conference. Especially after returning to the hotel from a night spent debauching one’s self while watch a pretty damn good blues band named “Brickhouse” at a deceptively scruffy looking place known as the Yale Hotel *. So, once again: Bleeding edge, etc.

Bummer

By lex, on March 8th, 2009

One of the things that first caught my eye when I first got back into the general aviation game last year was the procedure for an aircraft/engine fire (as opposed to an electrical one): Shut the mixture off, close the fuel transfer valves and increase airspeed to attempt to find a non-combustible fuel/air combination. Dive for the deck, in other words. Try to blow the thing out.

Admin Notes/Saturday Musings

By lex, on October 11th, 2008

Things are starting to heat back up over at The Flight Deck * these days. That’d be a great place to continue some of the protracted – and, increasingly, off topic – conversation threads we occasionally find ourselves involved in. All in accordance with the community’s standards of behavior, of course.

Every once in a while someone will sign up on The Flight Deck whose handle I don’t recognize. As a matter of prudence, I won’t give anyone editorial privileges until I know them a bit. There’s all kind of downsides to letting complete strangers root around inside your webserver, your correspondent cherishes both his good reputation and his liberty, and some of those who have attempted to get writing privileges come from very dubious domains. Regulars of good repute will be upgraded instantly, of course.

Right for the wrong reasons

Posted by Lex, on August 23, 2006

In comments,* Ima Fake responds to the Althouse v Tribe dust-up in a rational – though, to my mind, non-compelling – way. Well worth reading anyway, for those who let the comments to that thread drop out of their scan.

Friday Musings 07/31/09

Posted by Lex, on July 31, 2009

 

The flotsam and jetsam from things that have come into my scan. Updated throughout the day, maybe.

Welcome Ace of Spade readers! Consider signing this petition to name the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier after  a fighting ship rather than a politician!

Hun Reunion

Posted by  lex, on April 16th, 2011

The Collings Foundation has a new war horse in the stable, and gave an old war horse a ride in her.

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/22241898″>The Collings Foundation's F-100F Super Sabre</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/inversion”>INVERSION</a&gt; on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Col. Day had 5000 hours in his log book, and 4500 of them in fighters before he volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam. He stood up the first “Fast FAC” squadron to fly high risk forward air control missions, and was shot down on his 65th sortie up north. Badly injured in the ejection, he nevertheless managed to evade his captors and cross the DMZ back in to South Vietnam, becoming the only American POW to escape from North Vietnam. Recaptured by Viet Cong just miles from a US base, Col. Day spent five years and seven months as a guest of the Hanoi regime, who broke his body but not his spirit.

He is the only person ever to have been awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross.

I hope you enjoyed the flight, colonel. And a tip o’ the tam to the Collings Foundation for setting it up.

Editors Note – 05-14-18 I wrote about the Misties awhile back. An amazing group of pilots. 

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Heh

Posted by Lex, on December 4, 2010

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