Levi R. Chase: Bio, Career, and Latest Updates

Alright, let’s talk about this fella, Levi R. Chase. I ain’t no fancy writer, but I’ll tell ya what I know, the way I know how.

This Levi, he was born way back when, in 1917, December 23rd it was. A cold time of year, I reckon. He wasn’t from around these parts, no sir. New York, they say. Cortland, New York, to be exact. Never been there myself, but I hear it’s different from here.

Now, Levi, he wasn’t no ordinary fella. He was a fighter pilot, a real daredevil in the sky. And not just any fighter pilot, mind you, he was a double flying ace. That means he shot down a whole bunch of enemy planes. In World War II, it was. A big, nasty war, from what I hear. Lots of fighting, lots of trouble.

He flew them planes, fast and furious, up there in the clouds. Dodging bullets, shooting down the bad guys. Must’ve been scary, but Levi, he was tough. He didn’t back down from nothing.

• He was in World War II, like I said.
• Then he went off to Korea, another war. Don’t know much about that one, but it sounds just as bad.
• And then, wouldn’t ya know it, he ended up in Vietnam too. Three wars! That’s a lot of fighting for one fella.

Thirty-three years he served, they say. Thirty-three years! That’s a lifetime for some folks. He started out in the Army Air Corps, then it became the Air Force, I think. All them fancy names, hard to keep track. But the point is, he was a soldier, a fighter, a hero, I guess you could say.

He flew all sorts of planes, I bet. Fast ones, loud ones. The kinda planes that make your heart race just looking at ’em. I seen some planes fly over here once, but they weren’t nothing like what Levi flew, I’m sure. There’s talk of a Phantom, an F-4C Phantom they call it. Sleek, they say, landing smooth as butter on them airstrips made of aluminum slabs. Sounds like something outta them picture shows.

He climbed the ranks, too. Became a Major General. That’s a big deal, right? Means he was in charge of a lot of men. He was even the Vice Commander of the Ninth Air Force, stationed down in South Carolina, Shaw Air Force Base it was called. He was a big shot, no doubt about it.

He retired in 1973. After all them wars, all them battles, he finally got to come home and rest. He deserved it, I reckon. He passed away in 1994, September 4th. Lived a long life, all things considered. A life full of adventure, danger, and probably a whole lot of heartache too.

They say he flew 512 combat missions. 512! That’s more times than I’ve been to the store in my whole life! Can you imagine? Up in the air, fighting for your country, again and again and again. He must’ve seen some things, things most folks can’t even dream of.

So yeah, that’s Levi R. Chase. A fighter pilot, a war hero, a fella who served his country with pride. He ain’t around no more, but folks still remember him, still talk about him. And that’s how it should be, I think. We shouldn’t forget the folks who fought for us, the folks who kept us safe. They’re the real heroes.

There’s not a whole heap of stuff you can find easily, they don’t talk much about how he became a 1st Lt or a Capt., or all them other ranks he must have gone through. But I reckon he earned every single one of ‘em.

So there you have it. That’s the story of Levi R. Chase, as best as I can tell it. Not fancy, not perfect, but it’s the truth, as far as I know.

Tags: [Major General Levi R Chase, World War II, fighter pilot, American ace, Korea War, Vietnam War, Chase County, military career, US Air Force, 9th Air Force]