Bob Lesley, right, with his wife Mary Lee (about 1965) in Bend, where they raised their family.

JOHN DAY — Robert “Bob” Lesley, 90, of John Day experienced battles of World War II aboard the U.S.S. Hancock aircraft carrier about 70 years ago. After decades of silence, he has finally decided to publicly share his story.

He joined the U.S. Navy at 18 years of age in May 1944. After gunnery school, Lesley became a Third Class Aviation Boatswain Mate on the Hancock, his home port at Ulithi, in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean.

On the Hancock, Lesley took on many responsibilities. He was a gunner; a firefighter when the need arose; and his most important job was director, seeing the pilots to safe take offs and landings.

Airmen left on maneuvers from the Hancock near Okinawa, and some didn’t return as there were many kamikaze suicide attacks.

“During the first strike to Japan, while on the Hancock, I recovered a young pilot who made ace (shot down five Japanese planes in one trip),” Lesley said. “He said he’d still be out there if he had more ammo.”

Lesley said the Hancock carried 100 planes with roughly 2,000-plus men on board.

He said a kamikaze struck the deck, at the fantails of the carrier, setting 15 empty planes on fire. He was among the shipmates extinguishing the fire.

Lesley received commendation for his service and was honorably discharged on May 26, 1946. He said the Navy wanted him to continue, but he returned home to Oregon and later married his sweetheart, Mary Lee, on Jan. 20, 1949.

They celebrated their 68th anniversary this year.

Bob and Mary Lee were both born and raised on ranches near Monument.

After the war, Bob drove heavy equipment and logging trucks to support his family, as he and his wife raised their two sons and daughter in Bend.

Both the Lesleys’ sons and their son-in-law are veterans of the Vietnam War.