![]() ![]() “I got hit at something like 10,000 feet and couldn’t get out of the damned airplane. Today, Lavra’s voice speeds up a bit as he provides the highlights of his longest day. 20, 1952 and this time, he wouldn’t make it the 32 miles south to friendly territory. He managed to turn his Spad and limp south to friendly territory before a hard landing destroyed the aircraft.Ī year later, Lavra launched from the deck of the USS Essex on a combat mission. In 1951 the young officer was hit by enemy ground fire more than 100 miles deep in North Korea. The ‘Spad’ was the unofficial nickname of the AD-4 Skyraider, a single engine, 18-cylinder attack plane that will forever be linked to Lavra. ![]() If you ask, the 95-year old will waste no time in telling you which was his favorite: “the Spad.” Over the course of his career, Lavra flew more than 5,300 flight hours in more than 22 types of aircraft from propeller-engine fighters and cargo planes to jets. He was commissioned in 1947 as a Naval Aviator. servicemembers to see service in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.Īs an enlisted man in World War II, Lavra searched for submarines in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. He was called to active duty two days later and went on to become one of only 171,000 U.S. Lavra enlisted in the Navy Jas a combat aircrewman. Some people have long military careers without ever being in the line of fire.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |