Born to parents William Franklin and Inez Leone Maxwell LESLIE in Seattle, 1902--Max attended the University of Washington before being acepted to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1922. He graduated in 1926 and elected to take flight training at NAS Pensacola where he was finally designated Naval Aviator in 1930.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Leslie was XO of VB-3 aboard USS Saratoga. Sara and Lex had departed Pearl several days earlier on a mission to deliver fighter planes to Wake and Midway Islands. As result, Leslie and the Carrier Task Force missed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Later during the Tokyo Raid as part of Task Force 17 flying off of USS Enterprise, Max and his squadron flew CAP and search missions to protect the convoy on their way to launch the Doolittle Raiders.
During the Battle of Midway, flying off of Yorktown and leading VB-3(Bombing-3), flying SBD Dauntless Dive Bombers, Leslie with incredable luck and great instinct managed to arrive above the enemy Task Force at the moment that Admiral Nagumo had ordered rearming and refueling operations. The Jap carriers had exposed bombs, torpedos and fuel lines on deck which made them most vulnerable to attack. LtCmdr. Max Leslie led his Squadron in the attack on SORYU just as she was turning into the wind to launch, LtCmdr. Wade McClusky who was the CAG, led his Gp to the attack on KAGA and Lt. Dick Best with his squadron following, proceeded to attack AKAGI. ----The rest is HISTORY and the turning point of the war. The enemy aggression was stopped and the US defense turned into US offense. Max Leslie was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.∼Max served during World War II with distinction. Lieutenant Commander Max Leslie, of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Yorktown, with Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Enterprise, and Lieutenant Dick Best combined their squadrons, sinking the Japanese Aircraft Carriers Soryu, Kaga, and Akagi, and are credited with assisting in the winning of the Battle of Midway, and thus the war in the Pacific. For his heroic actions on June 4, 1942 Max was awarded the Navy's second highest honor the Navy Cross.
Maxwell Leslie was admitted to the Washington State Society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Spokane Chapter #1, on November 13, 1923, through his Patriot ancestral Great-Great-Grandfather Benjamin Dolbier.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Leslie was XO of VB-3 aboard USS Saratoga. Sara and Lex had departed Pearl several days earlier on a mission to deliver fighter planes to Wake and Midway Islands. As result, Leslie and the Carrier Task Force missed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Later during the Tokyo Raid as part of Task Force 17 flying off of USS Enterprise, Max and his squadron flew CAP and search missions to protect the convoy on their way to launch the Doolittle Raiders.
During the Battle of Midway, flying off of Yorktown and leading VB-3(Bombing-3), flying SBD Dauntless Dive Bombers, Leslie with incredable luck and great instinct managed to arrive above the enemy Task Force at the moment that Admiral Nagumo had ordered rearming and refueling operations. The Jap carriers had exposed bombs, torpedos and fuel lines on deck which made them most vulnerable to attack. LtCmdr. Max Leslie led his Squadron in the attack on SORYU just as she was turning into the wind to launch, LtCmdr. Wade McClusky who was the CAG, led his Gp to the attack on KAGA and Lt. Dick Best with his squadron following, proceeded to attack AKAGI. ----The rest is HISTORY and the turning point of the war. The enemy aggression was stopped and the US defense turned into US offense. Max Leslie was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.∼Max served during World War II with distinction. Lieutenant Commander Max Leslie, of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Yorktown, with Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Enterprise, and Lieutenant Dick Best combined their squadrons, sinking the Japanese Aircraft Carriers Soryu, Kaga, and Akagi, and are credited with assisting in the winning of the Battle of Midway, and thus the war in the Pacific. For his heroic actions on June 4, 1942 Max was awarded the Navy's second highest honor the Navy Cross.
Maxwell Leslie was admitted to the Washington State Society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Spokane Chapter #1, on November 13, 1923, through his Patriot ancestral Great-Great-Grandfather Benjamin Dolbier.
Born to parents William Franklin and Inez Leone Maxwell LESLIE in Seattle, 1902--Max attended the University of Washington before being acepted to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1922. He graduated in 1926 and elected to take flight training at NAS Pensacola where he was finally designated Naval Aviator in 1930.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Leslie was XO of VB-3 aboard USS Saratoga. Sara and Lex had departed Pearl several days earlier on a mission to deliver fighter planes to Wake and Midway Islands. As result, Leslie and the Carrier Task Force missed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Later during the Tokyo Raid as part of Task Force 17 flying off of USS Enterprise, Max and his squadron flew CAP and search missions to protect the convoy on their way to launch the Doolittle Raiders.
During the Battle of Midway, flying off of Yorktown and leading VB-3(Bombing-3), flying SBD Dauntless Dive Bombers, Leslie with incredable luck and great instinct managed to arrive above the enemy Task Force at the moment that Admiral Nagumo had ordered rearming and refueling operations. The Jap carriers had exposed bombs, torpedos and fuel lines on deck which made them most vulnerable to attack. LtCmdr. Max Leslie led his Squadron in the attack on SORYU just as she was turning into the wind to launch, LtCmdr. Wade McClusky who was the CAG, led his Gp to the attack on KAGA and Lt. Dick Best with his squadron following, proceeded to attack AKAGI. ----The rest is HISTORY and the turning point of the war. The enemy aggression was stopped and the US defense turned into US offense. Max Leslie was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.∼Max served during World War II with distinction. Lieutenant Commander Max Leslie, of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Yorktown, with Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Enterprise, and Lieutenant Dick Best combined their squadrons, sinking the Japanese Aircraft Carriers Soryu, Kaga, and Akagi, and are credited with assisting in the winning of the Battle of Midway, and thus the war in the Pacific. For his heroic actions on June 4, 1942 Max was awarded the Navy's second highest honor the Navy Cross.
Maxwell Leslie was admitted to the Washington State Society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Spokane Chapter #1, on November 13, 1923, through his Patriot ancestral Great-Great-Grandfather Benjamin Dolbier.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Leslie was XO of VB-3 aboard USS Saratoga. Sara and Lex had departed Pearl several days earlier on a mission to deliver fighter planes to Wake and Midway Islands. As result, Leslie and the Carrier Task Force missed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Later during the Tokyo Raid as part of Task Force 17 flying off of USS Enterprise, Max and his squadron flew CAP and search missions to protect the convoy on their way to launch the Doolittle Raiders.
During the Battle of Midway, flying off of Yorktown and leading VB-3(Bombing-3), flying SBD Dauntless Dive Bombers, Leslie with incredable luck and great instinct managed to arrive above the enemy Task Force at the moment that Admiral Nagumo had ordered rearming and refueling operations. The Jap carriers had exposed bombs, torpedos and fuel lines on deck which made them most vulnerable to attack. LtCmdr. Max Leslie led his Squadron in the attack on SORYU just as she was turning into the wind to launch, LtCmdr. Wade McClusky who was the CAG, led his Gp to the attack on KAGA and Lt. Dick Best with his squadron following, proceeded to attack AKAGI. ----The rest is HISTORY and the turning point of the war. The enemy aggression was stopped and the US defense turned into US offense. Max Leslie was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.∼Max served during World War II with distinction. Lieutenant Commander Max Leslie, of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Yorktown, with Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky of the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Enterprise, and Lieutenant Dick Best combined their squadrons, sinking the Japanese Aircraft Carriers Soryu, Kaga, and Akagi, and are credited with assisting in the winning of the Battle of Midway, and thus the war in the Pacific. For his heroic actions on June 4, 1942 Max was awarded the Navy's second highest honor the Navy Cross.
Maxwell Leslie was admitted to the Washington State Society of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Spokane Chapter #1, on November 13, 1923, through his Patriot ancestral Great-Great-Grandfather Benjamin Dolbier.
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