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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2016)
A2 Family Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 30, 2016 Veteran recalls service aboard USS Hancock Bob Lesley experienced kamikaze attacks By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY — Robert “Bob” Lesley, 90, of John Day experienced battles of World War II aboard the U.S.S. Han- cock aircraft carrier about 70 years ago. After decades of si- lence, he has ¿ nally decided to publicly share his story. He joined the U.S. Navy at 18 years of age in May 1944. After gunnery school, Lesley became a Third Class Aviation Contributed photos Boatswain Mate on the Han- Bob Lesley and his wife, cock, his home port at Ulithi, Mary Lee, at Magone in the Caroline Islands of the Lake last summer. western 3aci¿ c Ocean. On the Hancock, Lesley took on many responsibilities. He was a gunner a ¿ re¿ ghter when the need arose; and his most important job was direc- tor, seeing the pilots to safe take offs and landings. Airmen left on maneuvers from the Hancock near Oki- nawa, and some didn’t return as there were many kamikaze suicide attacks. “During the ¿ rst strike to Japan, while on the Hancock, I recovered a young pilot who made ace shot down ¿ ve Japanese planes in one trip),” Lesley said. “He said he’d still be out there if he had more ammo.” Lesley said the Hancock carried 100 planes with rough- ly 2,000-plus men on board. He said a kamikaze struck the deck, at the fantails of the carrier, setting 15 empty planes on ¿ re. He was among the shipmates extinguishing the ¿ re. Lesley received commen- dation for his service and was honorably discharged on May 26, 1946. He said the Navy wanted him to continue, but he returned home to Oregon and later married his sweetheart, Mary Lee, on Jan. 20, 1949. They celebrated their 68th anniversary this year. Bob and Mary Lee were both born and raised on ranch- es near Monument. After the war, Bob drove heavy equipment and logging trucks to support his family, as he and his wife raised their two sons and daughter in Bend. Both the Lesleys’ sons and their son-in-law are veterans of the Vietnam War. Navy veteran Bob Lesley, left, and his friends and fellow officers aboard the USS Hancock aircraft carrier in 1945, near Okinawa during World War II. E AGLE ON V ACATION IN I TALY The Grant Union Junior-Senior High School Art Club took the Eagle on vacation to Pisa, Italy, during spring break. The group visited other location such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Pompeii, Sienna, Florence, Monaco and Nice. O BITUARIES Kenneth Lawrence Harvey Lola O’Rorke-Kastl Kenneth Lawrence Harvey, 50, died March 27 at his Seneca home. A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Seneca School. Interment will be at the Keller Cemetery on the Jack Southworth Ranch, followed by a potluck at Seneca City Hall. Arrangements are under the care of Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. For condolences, visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.com. Lola O’Rorke-Kastl, 84, of Prairie City, died March 26 in Ya- kima, Washington. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Canyon City Cemetery, with Darrell Johnson of¿ ci- ating. A reception will follow at the Prairie City Senior Center. Memorial contributions may be made to Blue Mountain Care Center in Prairie City through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day OR 97845. For condolences visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.com. S tylish Look s Dollina Humphreys Jan. 13, 1927 — March 21, 2016 Need help with auto insurance? Suspension, DUII, tickets, no insurance? Let us at Consumer Insurance Services get you going! for Less 3 G3QHHGT3EQPXGPKGPV3 9 3CPF3CHHQTFCDNG3 3FGUKIPGT3VWZGFQ3 3TGPVCNU3HKV3HQT3 3C3RTQO3MKPI3 Tu xedos • Vests • S h oes A ccessories Bend: 541-383-1733 Redmond: 541-504-2134 Toll Free: 1-888-898-sr22 33093(TQPV35V3s32TCKTKG3%KV[ 3 T hank Y ou ~Our Sincerest Thanks~ 37KH3IDPLO\3RI35HED3%HUU\3ZRXOG3OLNH3WR3H[SUHVV3 3WKHLU3WKDQNV3WR3WKH3%OXH30RXQWDLQ3+RVSLWDO3 3DQG3WKH3%OXH30RXQWDLQ3&DUH3&HQWHU3 3IRU3WKHLU3FDUH3RI35HED3DQG3WKHLU 3 NLQGQHVV3GXULQJ3RXU3ORVV 37R3RXU3IDPLO\3DQG3IULHQGV3WKDQN3\RX3VR3PXFK3 3IRU3WKH3FDUGV3IORZHUV3DQG3IRRG3<RX3ZHUH3D3 3WUXH3EOHVVLQJ3<RXU3NLQGQHVV3DQG3VXSSRUW3 3ZLOO3QHYHU3EH3IRUJRWWHQ 36LQFHUHO\3WKH3%HUU\3IDPLO\393WKH3'LFNHQV3IDPLO\ We would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to everyone who helped us during this trying time. There are far too many to list, but know that we appreciate every one of you. All the cards, flowers, phone calls, visits, food; it all means so much. We would like to ask that anyone who has a good memory or story of Wade please write it down and give it to us or our family so we can share them with his sister, Keelyn, when she is older. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Kyle, Regina & Keelyn Dunbar and Wade’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. L AST W EEK ’ S T EMPS J OHN D AY ...........................................................................HI/LO T UESDAY .............................................................................47/32 W EDNESDAY .........................................................................55/33 T HURSDAY ...........................................................................52/38 F RIDAY ................................................................................43/31 S ATURDAY ............................................................................51/26 S UNDAY ...............................................................................52/34 M ONDAY ..............................................................................44/32 R IVER F LOWS ON M ARCH 28 D ISCHARGE L AST YEAR JD R IVER NEAR J OHN D AY M IDDLE F ORK @ R ITTER N ORTH F ORK @ M ONUMENT JD R IVER @ S ERVICE C REEK JD R IVER @ M C D ONALD F ERRY C ANYON C REEK @ T HISSELLS R ANCH B RIDGE C ANYON C REEK @ A DAMS D RIVE B RIDGE 283 586 2670 4340 4950 76 139 245 393 1790 2450 3020 N EW 116 A VG . % OF A VG . 300 600 2980 4430 4820 82 146 94 98 90 98 103 93 95 Ski Report: Anthony Lakes: Base 85 inches; trace of new snow. Dollina Mary Ann Humphreys, 89, of Canyon City, died March 21 at Blue Mountain Care Center in Prairie City. A funeral service was held March 28 at Driskill Memorial Chapel in John Day. Humphreys was born Jan. 13, 1927, in Dayville, to Horace and Mary (MacKay) Stewart. She was raised on the Stewart Ranch, now the Long Box Ranch. She graduated from Dayville High School in 1945. In 1960, she married Rhys Humphreys in Dayville. They moved to the Humphreys Ranch where they raised sheep. From 1952-1965, she worked at the John Day Medical Center and, from 1972-1990, was deputy clerk for Dayville School. She also was a dispatcher for the People Mover. She enjoyed crocheting, cross stitch, sewing and quilting. She made many quilts that she gave to family and friends. She was always proud of her Scottish heritage and was fond of bagpipe music. She was a member of the Eastern Star and the Presbyteri- an Church, and was a Rebekah. She was the treasurer for the Presbyterian Church for a time and was honored to play the piano during services there. Survivors include stepdaughters, Greta (Bob) Wright of Or- egon City and Leta Kersey of Canyon City; stepson, Gale (Pat) Humphreys of Troutdale; nieces, Cathy (Chris) Struck of Red- mond and Jeanie Pauley of Vaughn, Washington; nine grandchil- dren; 10 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rhys Humphreys, in 1983; brother, Dalton Stewart; sister-in-law, Becky Stewart; stepson, Dale Humphreys; and grandson, Ronnie Kersey. Memorial contributions may be made to Blue Mountain Care Center through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845. For condolences, visit www.driskillmemorialchapel.com. About Obituaries News obituaries are a free service of the Blue Mountain Eagle. The paper accepts obituaries from the family or funeral home. Information submitted is subject to editing. Obituaries submitted to the Eagle with incorrect information may be corrected and republished as paid notices. Send obituaries by e-mail, cheryl@bmeagle.com; fax, 541-575-1244; or mail, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. For more information, or to inquire about a paid memorial, call 541-575-0710. A NNIVERSARY J ERRY AND M ARCIA F RANKLIN Jerry and Marcia Franklin of Prairie City will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 2. The Franklins were married on April 2, 1966, in Henderson, Nevada. The couple, who have lived in Prai- rie City since the mid-1970s, have three children, Traci, Chris and Ira, and six grandchildren. W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF M ARCH 30-A PRIL 5 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Sunny Sunny Sunny Chance of showers Mostly sunny Chance of showers Cloudy 59 63 71 67 65 56 56 27 39 42 39 38 25 25 F ORECAST A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122 R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM ; NOAA W EATHER R ADIO :162.500 MHz
