Military stories from past to present, both wars.

Carroll “Lex” LeFon, you are cleared due West…

March 7th, 2012 Posted in The SandGram v1.0

Roger that, Lex, you are cleared Due West…

Yesterday, we lost a great Naval Aviator and fellow Milblogger who had the ability to express flight and the emotions of being one with the air that I would say he was a close second to Ernie Gann. Neptune Lex wrote just yesterday about what it was like to fight with a plane when she was out to get you. He was able to overcome that situation but alas he wasn’t able to control this last time.

All of us who fly have had close calls. I mean, the hair on the back of your neck stands up, you become instantly flush and as time slows down and things become very clear, I mean Crystal clear. Being in the air is something you are born with, an innate love that you are never able to shake and we would much rather be up there on any bad day then be stuck behind some cubicle on a good day.

The feeling each time you push up the power, your body being compressed back as your plane races down the runway begging to take off at over 180 miles an hour in a few seconds. That feeling of accomplishment as you land and she touches down ever so gently. It’s something you try to tell your wife but afraid she wouldn’t understand. A mistress who is unforgiving sometimes for no reason at all when things go south.

Carroll LeFon, a retired Navy Captain was a brother in the blogosphere, a guy who I really enjoyed reading. A Naval Aviator that all looked up to. Here is his short Bio on Military.com

Carroll “Lex” LeFon is an retired US Navy captain, incipient crank, rapidly aging curmudgeon and used-to-be naval aviator with over 4000 hours in fighter aircraft, predominantly the FA-18C Hornet. His operational experience includes seven carrier deployments, including several in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing UN Sanctions in the Southern No-Fly Zone over Iraq. After commanding an operational FA-18 squadron he reported to the USS Constellation in 2001, later serving as her Operations Officer in the Arabian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shore tours include tours as instructor pilot in basic jet training, as an adversary instructor and as the Executive Officer of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). He retired from the Navy in 2008, after serving as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training on two flag staffs. He is a 1982 graduate from the US Naval Academy with a BS in Political Science, with a Master of Science in Systems Engineering Management from the US Naval Postgraduate School. The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the US Navy or Department of Defense.

I for one can never express my grief properly nor can I try. I know what his family is going through right now, and it’s very tough. I would like to think that when I die it will be a bit like “Always” or “A guy named Joe” where I get to come back and help some other poor slob learning to fly. That is all I ask the Lord for, that and the honor of hanging out with my sister in heaven. Carroll “Lex”, Godspeed brother and please make sure that I get vectors West when the time comes for me. You will never be forgotten!

Semper Fi, Taco

the internet will be his Wake today…

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2012/03/neptunus-lex-thank-you-and-farewell.html

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2012/03/there_is_a_univ.html

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2012/03/we_were_blogger.html

http://instapinch.com/?p=1970

http://blog.usni.org/2012/03/07/pardon-him-theodotus-neptunus-lex-carroll-lefon/

http://www.susankatzkeating.com/2012/03/neptunus-lex-1960-2012.html

http://milblogging.com/index.php?entry=entry120307-062547

http://www.woodshed.steveambrose.net/2012/03/07/dont-blink/

http://blog.usni.org/2012/03/07/a-remarkable-man-has-stepped-into-the-clearing-captain-carroll-lefon-usn-ret-1960-2012/

http://aw1tim.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/one-of-our-own/

http://homefrontsix.blogspot.com/2012/03/fair-winds-and-following-seas.html

http://grimbeorn.blogspot.com/2012/03/sic-transit-lex.html

http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/

http://www.thesniper.us/?p=9644

 http://steeljawscribe.com/2012/03/07/ave-atque-vale

http://pebbledrops.blogspot.com/2012/03/mourning.html

http://tailhookdaily.typepad.com/tailhook_daily_briefing/2012/03/neptunus-lex.html

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