But,
we enthusiastically celebrate this date, not as the end of an era, but for the
wonderful era it was. It was a time
filled with an education on many topics, entertainment, and some of the finest
prose in the English language that we will ever see on military subjects. Along with random thoughts, occasional
politics, religion, gratuitous aeronautical engineering, and cushion gripping
aviation tales, some likely true, others likely true but presented as
fiction. We also shared in proud and
poignant revelations of a father and husband, to round out his accomplishments
as pilot and poet.
It was not a one way conversation, as Lex’s words spurred lively discussions, usually polite, and at times readers were left to “talk amongst yourselves.”
Carroll Fairfax Lefon, better known to his innumerable friends, many he never met, as “Neptunus Lex.”
He continues to acquire new friends to this day, large thanks to Bill Brandt, who only discovered Lex shortly after that infamous day, but has diligently resurrected many of the post from Lex’s blog, and made them available to everyone over at “The Lexicans” Link Here
Two other private sites, on Facebook and MeWe are places where more enthusiastic admirers continue discussions in the spirit of Lex, and also share an occasional Guinness (for strength) and Jamison (for courage) in a live meetup.
It is remarkable that this one man, greatly missed, brought together such a diverse group, and inspired so many in different ways, and that his influence has not diminished even after 11 years.
Here are some random facts to refresh our memory of this remarkable man, from Hizzoner, or his admirers.
About - [in his own words and inimitable
style]
Raised in old Virginia. Taught to be a gentleman before it was required
of me.
A naval officer, and naval aviator slimy contractor – still
serving recently retired, but no longer current in an airplane, alas
flying unsuspecting
civvies through the burning blue
– and back in the saddle again! A trade school graduate, I got my wings in Meridian, MS a long time ago, and spent
another 18 purgatorial months there instructing before joining the west coast
fleet, flying God’s jet – the FA-18 Hornet. Cruised aboard the USS
CONSTELLATION (twice) and INDEPENDENCE (once).
Did a tour after that in Key West, Florida, flying the F-16N, F-5E and
A-4E aircraft. Best. Job. Ever. Also where I had the Worst Day Ever. But that’s
another story.
Department head tour in Japan. Hornets again. Deployed a number of
times aboard INDEPENDENCE again, that rough beast.
TOPGUN instructor after that. Was never more proud to be a part of
something.
Commanded a west coast FA-18 squadron. Deployed aboard USS CARL VINSON
– my first nuke.
Served as Operations Officer aboard the fleet’s finest aircraft
carrier, an oil-burner. Put her to bed after 41 years of faithful service.
Now serving as a staff pogue in a different way in sunny San
Diego (and Ventura County). Believe certain things to be true. Don’t declare them to be,
however.
Married to the best girl I ever met, who also delivered up three
wonderful children. Don’t really know how I could be happier, or more blessed.
Vitals:
- Flight hours: ~4600
- Arrested landings: 570, or so.
- Deployments: 7
- Original thoughts: Tends towards zero
- Ability to recognize a good idea: Tends towards infinite
The Title
Bar Logos source
A nice man from Britain asked me what the logos were on the title bar – they reflect
a portion of my navy and aviation history, I have left the training squadrons
out:
From the left you have the crest of the US Naval Academy, in Annapolis,
MD – my alma mater. To this day, I cannot see the academy’s chapel dome in the
distance without checking my watch to see if I am late, and wondering whether I
am going to be in trouble. Call it the echoes of my guilty conscience – As a
midshipman, I was very far from perfect.
First squadron logo on the right hand side, reading from the left is
from VFA-25, “the Fist of the Fleet,” my first fleet fighter squadron. Here is
where I discovered that despite being the only male child in my family, I had
twelve brothers. I was young there…
Next is the patch of VF-45, the Atlantic Fleet adversary squadron. We
modeled Soviet style tactics in dissimilar aircraft: F-16N, F-5E, and A-4E. The
red star on the patch represented that part of our function, and was the logo
on our aircraft tails as well. We were called “the Blackbirds,” since in
ancient times (1975) the squadron was manned by 4 active duty officers and 20
reservists. Four and twenty, get it? Blackbirds? Sigh… It was The Best Job
Ever. I also experienced my worst day ever in that squadron. That was the last
place I ever really felt young. Growing older will do that to you.
Next is VFA-192, the “Super Sh!t Hot, World Famous Golden Dragons,”
home ported in Atsugi, Japan. We were world famous because the film studio that
shot “the Bridges of Toko Ri” used our squadron’s aircraft to film the aerial
scenes. The actual squadron that destroyed the bridges (in North Korea) was our
sister-squadron in Japan, the “Dam Busters” of VFA-195. We were happy to take
credit for it apparently. I’m not quite sure how we came to be “super sh!t
hot,” by our own admission I guess. This is where I did my department head
tour.
Next up is the patch of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, TOPGUN. Two
years here after my department head tour taught me that all shore duty is not
created equal. Hard work, long hours, great personal rewards. I worked with the
top 20 fighter pilots in the US Navy. Put those 20 young men in any business in
the world, and I am firmly convinced they would own the market they served in
five years or less. I taught some, learned a great deal, left to go to sea again.
Finally there is the logo of “the Mighty Shrikes” of VFA-94, home based
in Lemoore, California. I was the executive officer, and ultimately the
commanding officer of this squadron. While I was commanding officer, we won the
wing-wide strike fighter derby – I was immensely proud of my boys, and would
have matched them against any squadron in the fleet, man to man. A blue collar
bunch of get-it-done pilots that partied like rock stars in foreign ports. I
had always considered myself no slouch in that category. Here I realized that
not only was I no longer young, I was starting to get actually old. In an admin
(where the 18 or so pilots share a hotel suite in foreign ports, sleeping where
they can after the night’s amusements) in Hobart, Australia, I returned from a
night of liberty in all the usually suspect places at 0400, thoroughly
exhausted. over-served and jaded to discover I was the first one home. At 4 AM.
What a non-hack.
To the far right is the US Navy “Command at Sea” pin. I spent 17 years earning
that pin, and wore it for 15 months. It was a fair trade.
He was an athlete too,
an All-American,placing third in the NCAA finals in 1982, the year he graduated
from USNA. Not many colleges remember
former players 30 years after they graduate, but USNA Fencing did last year on
the 10th anniversary of his passing;
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-lVmApbRO/
Lex spawned several other bloggers, including our gracious host, albeit one who also wore a blue uniform, it was sort of a funny shade of blue, from a service accustomed to operating planes off mile long concrete strips instead of 500 feet of pitching and rolling steel deck. As Sarge posted here on May 17, 2014:
“For those who don't
know, I started this blog shortly after the passing of Lex, back in March of
2012. He's the reason I do this. His blog was where I started my day, every
day.
My youngest, The WSO knows how I felt about
this guy. How much I enjoyed his wit, his wisdom and his writing.
Right now VFA-2, The
Bounty Hunters, are out at NAS Fallon, getting ready for RIMPAC* this summer. The WSO sent me a few pictures. I
thought I'd share them with you. It's what I do, I share. Well, most of the
time.
Okay, some of time.
A couple of Bullets enjoying a Guinness with Lex |
Rest in peace, dear friend of so many you never met. You are missed, but certainly not forgotten.
Now, take some time and go
read Lex’s great story (in 54 parts) about life aboard an aircraft carrier,
“Rhythms,” which should have been
published, but never was, except in digital form.
Thank you Tuna, I apologize for ignorance...... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting this together JB and Tuna, thanks for posting it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a date seared into my memory.
It was my honor. Bedsides, JB did all the real work.
DeleteWell said. Thank you for sharing. We will never forget.
ReplyDeleteMary, I hope you are well. I miss reading the word Hobbit on a daily basis which was often the case in his writings.
DeleteProbably not the Mary I was thinking of, but the sentiment remains the same.
DeleteMy family & I had dinner at Shakespeare's in San Diego when we were vacationing there last summer. I proudly enjoyed a Guiness (for strength) and Jamison (for courage) in his memory. Great man who is sorely missed.
ReplyDeleteThe joy of having his written stories, the grief of losing a digital friend. Still today.
ReplyDeleteI miss him. I just got a chuckle reading an earlier comment mentioning the "Hobbit" - it made me think about the "All Girl Spending Team."
ReplyDeleteAnd his "Crushing Burden of Debt" aka- his home. I remember he used SNO for his son, which for years I thought meant "Student Naval Officer" while he was in NROTC at USD- but it was actually Son Number One.
DeleteWe are the poorer for his passing.
ReplyDeleteThe Rat Story was worthy of James Thurber.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh yes. I cried, I was laughing so hard. A warrior poet indeed.
DeleteI met Lex in June '11 at Shakespeare's. The fake libtard "Fliterman" (John Chesire) was there as well and was the only other airplane driver at the meet up. Alas, John passed from congestive heart failure on December 15, 2021 at 75. He flew F-4s off Midway and had two war cruises to 'nam of the Midway.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bill Tuttle emailed me that Lex had been killed, it was like a punch in the gut. You know it can happen, but it was still unexpected. Being an AF brat, I know too well that death follows pilots.