Contents of the Collection The Leroy O. Olson World War II Collection is quite small and relates to the 1943-1945 United States Navy pilot career of Leroy "Lee" O. Olson. It is comprised of a logbook and five photographs. The logbook covers from May 1943 to October 1945 and includes information such as duration of flight, locations, and type of aircraft. Identified aircraft include the North American SNJ-4 Texan, Douglas SBD Dauntless, Grumman F-2 Wildcat, and Grumman F6F Hellcat. All of the photographs...

Summary [From transcript] Leroy "Lee" Olson discusses growing up in a large family on a farm in Montana and his first experiences with airplanes, including his father's aviation history in the early 1930s. He explains his education and how he became a Naval aviator, including primary flight training on aircraft with skis for landing gear, and his experience on the aircraft carriers Wolverine, Ranger, and USS Essex. He recalls his experience as part of the "Red Dippers" and his flights in the Pacific...