Today at the air show, we had just settled down our blanket, chairs, cooler, etc, when an old man came over and asked, "Do you mind if I sit here with you?" I looked at this man in a flight suit with Marine Corps patches on it and said, "of course" and helped him set up. He told me he was 94 years old and was disappointed that he was only able to run/walk SIXTEEN miles of the NY Marathon.last year. He said, "I ran 16 then got a cab." This man went on to tell me about flying Panther Jets in Korea, helped train Ted Williams and John Glenn to fly and flew more than a 100 combat missions. Here's an article I found on him.
Jonathan de Sola Mendes
LIZ KRUEGER
May 18, 2012
Colonel
Colonel Jonathan de Sola Mendes
Award: Honoring Our Veterans
Year: 2012
Colonel Jonathan de Sola Mendes has led both a military career and life of admirable accomplishment. Immediately following graduation from Dartmouth College in May of 1943, Colonel Jonathan de Sola Mendes volunteered for naval flight training. By September of 1943, then as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Colonel Mendes was sent to Wallis Island for five months and then to Engebi Island. After 13 months in the Pacific and having fl own over 100 missions, Colonel Mendes received two Air Medals for his service overseas.
After returning to the U.S. in October of 1944, Colonel Mendes received formal Marine Corps training by attending and graduating from Marine-Air Infantry School at Quantico, Virginia. Colonel Mendes was released from active duty in the Autumn of 1945. He then enrolled in Harvard Business School in February of 1946 during which time he continued to fl y with in the Marine Reserves on weekends. After graduation he transferred to VMF-132 at NAS, Brooklyn where he continued to pilot F6F Hellcats.
In September of 1951, VMF-132 was activated for the Korean War, and by then a Major, Colonel Mendes spent the next year as operations offi cer of VMFT-20, the fighter refresher training and jet checkout squadron at MCAS, Cherry Point where both Major John Glenn and Captain Ted Williams went through training. In February 1953, Colonel Mendes joined them in BMF-311, MAG-33, Flying F9F Panther jets in K-3, Pohang, Korea.
During his time in Pohang, Colonel Mendes fl ew 70 missions including leading the last Marine Corps mission of the war. He was awarded an additional 8 Air Medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the Korean War, Colonel Mendes rejoined his old Reserve squadron, and in time became commanding officer. From 1958 to 1973 Colonel Mendes served as a staff officer before retiring as a Colonel with 30 years of continuous service.
Colonel Mendes has continued to be an active member of his community, and in 2010 was the oldest entrant in the New York City Marathon.
Here's part of another article - where he was arrested for beating his father-in-law to death..........yeah, pretty shocking......that was in 1988, but he was honored by the state senate in 2010 and I can't find the outcome of that arrest/case.
As a pilot in the Marine Air Division in World War II and the Korean War, Mr. Mendes was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with eight gold stars.
A graduate of Dartmouth College and the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Mr. Mendes later became a financial consultant, and played a key role in the merger of the Xerox Corporation and C.I.T. Financial Corporation in 1968. He is the grandnephew of Rabbi H. Pereira Mendes and Rabbi Frederic de Sola Mendes, who were prominent New York spiritual leaders in the first half of this century.
Jonathan de Sola Mendes
LIZ KRUEGER
May 18, 2012
Colonel
Colonel Jonathan de Sola Mendes
Award: Honoring Our Veterans
Year: 2012
Colonel Jonathan de Sola Mendes has led both a military career and life of admirable accomplishment. Immediately following graduation from Dartmouth College in May of 1943, Colonel Jonathan de Sola Mendes volunteered for naval flight training. By September of 1943, then as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Colonel Mendes was sent to Wallis Island for five months and then to Engebi Island. After 13 months in the Pacific and having fl own over 100 missions, Colonel Mendes received two Air Medals for his service overseas.
After returning to the U.S. in October of 1944, Colonel Mendes received formal Marine Corps training by attending and graduating from Marine-Air Infantry School at Quantico, Virginia. Colonel Mendes was released from active duty in the Autumn of 1945. He then enrolled in Harvard Business School in February of 1946 during which time he continued to fl y with in the Marine Reserves on weekends. After graduation he transferred to VMF-132 at NAS, Brooklyn where he continued to pilot F6F Hellcats.
In September of 1951, VMF-132 was activated for the Korean War, and by then a Major, Colonel Mendes spent the next year as operations offi cer of VMFT-20, the fighter refresher training and jet checkout squadron at MCAS, Cherry Point where both Major John Glenn and Captain Ted Williams went through training. In February 1953, Colonel Mendes joined them in BMF-311, MAG-33, Flying F9F Panther jets in K-3, Pohang, Korea.
During his time in Pohang, Colonel Mendes fl ew 70 missions including leading the last Marine Corps mission of the war. He was awarded an additional 8 Air Medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the Korean War, Colonel Mendes rejoined his old Reserve squadron, and in time became commanding officer. From 1958 to 1973 Colonel Mendes served as a staff officer before retiring as a Colonel with 30 years of continuous service.
Colonel Mendes has continued to be an active member of his community, and in 2010 was the oldest entrant in the New York City Marathon.
Here's part of another article - where he was arrested for beating his father-in-law to death..........yeah, pretty shocking......that was in 1988, but he was honored by the state senate in 2010 and I can't find the outcome of that arrest/case.
As a pilot in the Marine Air Division in World War II and the Korean War, Mr. Mendes was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with eight gold stars.
A graduate of Dartmouth College and the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Mr. Mendes later became a financial consultant, and played a key role in the merger of the Xerox Corporation and C.I.T. Financial Corporation in 1968. He is the grandnephew of Rabbi H. Pereira Mendes and Rabbi Frederic de Sola Mendes, who were prominent New York spiritual leaders in the first half of this century.
Happy Mermorial day ๐บ๐ธ
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