USS Lexington found!

[Skipper07]

This certainly is better than fining hidden gold!

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/05/politics/uss-lexington-aircraft-carrier-wreckage-found/index.html

 

[USMAROTCFamily]

It's amazing how clear that footage is 2 miles under the ocean.

 

[AROTC-dad]

Agreed! You can even clearly see the Felix the Cat logo of the fighters from VF-3!

 

[THParent]

That Wildcat looked to be in amazingly good shape (did you notice that pilot had 4 kills?), as did the bore of that 5" gun.

 

[Jcleppe]

We all love Paul Allen here, of all the local billionaires he spends his money on the most interesting things.

 

[AROTC-dad]

Holy mackerel!!!!

It has been reported that the Wildcat in the Lexington video belonged to Butch O'Hare!! (they named a small airport in Chicago after him).
He won the MOH for downing five planes in one engagement!

Here are two links:
http://worldwarwings.com/wildcat-just-found-uss-lexington-wreck-important-think/
https://frontlinevideos.com/blogs/v...lexington-wreck-more-important-than-you-think

 

[AROTC-dad]

Now I found another forum that has a thread that identifies the fighter as one belonging to one of O'Hare's squadron mates, LT (J.G) Noel Gayler, who later became an Admiral.
You can see a letter "R" peering out from barnacles just under the cockpit frame.
Plus the four victories matches his war record.

 

[THParent]

Since we're taking about the F4F Wildcat, did ya know they started them with a really big shotgun shell? (Cool video of one coming to life after 40 years)
You can't make this stuff up.

 

[NorwichDad]

This thread is amazing!

 

[Skipper07]

Holy mackerel!!!!

It has been reported that the Wildcat in the Lexington video belonged to Butch O'Hare!! (they named a small airport in Chicago after him).
He won the MOH for downing five planes in one engagement!

Here are two links:
http://worldwarwings.com/wildcat-just-found-uss-lexington-wreck-important-think/
https://frontlinevideos.com/blogs/v...lexington-wreck-more-important-than-you-think

That’s awesome! I like to fly out of O’Hare. My Grandpa was at Orchard Field (ORD) in the ANG before the name change to O’Hare.

 

[AROTC-dad]

Thats awesome! I like to fly out of O’Hare. My Grandpa was at Orchard Field (ORD) in the ANG before the name change to O’Hare.

I swear it felt like a five mile walk to get to a connecting flight at O'Hare. The place is HUUUGE.

 

[Jcleppe]

It is amazing just how clear the pictures are, only the best equipment for Paul's crew. What a great look back at history.

 

[flieger83]

The group that identified the plane as Lt Gaylor's had a LOT of evidence to back them up; key being the bomb symbol. It matched a bombing strike that Gaylor flew; O'hare wasn't mentioned on that mission, although it may have simply been an omission.

Still...pretty amazing!! And on Allen's page...one of the Devastators shown...the daughter of one of its crewmembers commented on it!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

 

[THParent]

and...

Now he's found the U.S.S Juneau
(Made infamous by the fact that all five Sullivan brothers died while serving aboard)