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
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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
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Saturday
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Sunny
Sunny
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Chance of
showers
Mostly
sunny
Chance of
showers
Cloudy
59
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71
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27
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25
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