"I looked over and he had his hat on backwards and his head stuck out the window, and he says, 'I'm helping you watch.'" (Video Interview, 28:10)

John Howard LaVoy

John LaVoy [2005] War: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Marine Corps Unit: Marine Helicopter Squadron 364 Service Location: Pacific Theater; United States; Hawaii Rank: Colonel Place of Birth: NV

Though he initially enlisted to serve in World War II, LaVoy came to love flying so much he made a career in the Marines. Over 28 years, LaVoy served during three wars (he flew helicopters in Korea and Vietnam), watching as the Marines came more and more to rely on helicopters. In his early flights during the Korean War, LaVoy found himself improvising to compensate for the lack of sophisticated equipment. Once, during a flight to Seoul, his passenger, a general, couldn't resist leaning out of the aircraft to act as LaVoy's navigator.