GuySittingintheStands
Senior Member
How did Bruce Leininger find out that “Jack Larsen/Larson” served aboard the World War II escort carrier USS Natoma Bay?
Bruce had done a google search for the name “Natoma” as early as 27 August 2000, apparently after his son told him that his plane took off from a “boat”. Bruce asked him the name of the boat and 2 ½ year old James said, or rather, what Bruce and Andrea understood him as saying (after several tries): “Natoma”. Bruce’s google search led to the name of a World War II escort aircraft carrier named “Natoma Bay.” Several weeks later (05 Oct 2000 according to Jim Matlock’s timeline), Andrea asked James if there was anyone else “in the dream” (James’s Airplane crash on fire dream). James told her, “Jack” … “Jack Larsen”. “He was a pilot, too”. Sometime later that fall of 2000, Bruce ran internet searches on Jack Larsen but without success. He couldn’t establish whether this Jack Larsen, assuming he was even a real person, was killed or had survived the war (Soul Survivor, p.87), or had served aboard an aircraft carrier.
Finally, Bruce found the website of the Escort Carriers Sailors’ and Airmen’s Association, from which he collected four names. The text in Soul Survivor (pp. 97-100) doesn’t mention that the names (presumably names of WW2 veterans who had served aboard US Navy escort carriers) were associated with any particular carriers. (HOWEVER, Bruce mentions in a recent youtube interview/ 01 July 2022/ that the four names and corresponding contact information were associated with a Natoma Bay escort carrier reunion group listed on the Escort Carriers Sailors' and Airmen's Association website from that time.)
We pick up the text on p.97:
“ . . . he found the Escort Carriers Sailors’ and Airmen’s Association, plucked four names off that Web site, and began to make blind phone calls. One number was disconnected. Another member of the group he sought was in the hospital, dying. A third never answered. The fourth was Leo Pyatt. . .”
The text doesn’t say whether Bruce called Leo because he thought Leo might know who served aboard the Natoma Bay or whether he (Bruce) knew Leo himself had served aboard the Natoma Bay (perhaps from a reference on the website). It just says Bruce called four members of the association, presumably hoping to find information on planes and air crews of the Natoma Bay.
It turns out Leo Pyatt had served aboard the Natoma Bay. And what’s more, he had been an aviation radarman who flew on the carrier’s TBM Avenger aircraft with the carrier’s VC-81 squadron.
Out of the blue, Bruce asked him (Leo) (Soul Survivor, p.100):
“Can you tell me anything about a guy named Jack Larsen?”
He [Leo] didn’t even pause.
“Oh, yeah. I remember Jack. We never saw him again.”
“How do you mean?”
“He flew off one day and we never saw him again.”
GSITS: What are the odds that Bruce was able to connect with, not only a member of the association who served aboard the aircraft carrier Natoma Bay, but a member of the association who had served in an aviation squadron (VC-81) with a pilot named Jack Larsen? On the Natoma Bay. 55 years after the war. Go figure.
Bruce had done a google search for the name “Natoma” as early as 27 August 2000, apparently after his son told him that his plane took off from a “boat”. Bruce asked him the name of the boat and 2 ½ year old James said, or rather, what Bruce and Andrea understood him as saying (after several tries): “Natoma”. Bruce’s google search led to the name of a World War II escort aircraft carrier named “Natoma Bay.” Several weeks later (05 Oct 2000 according to Jim Matlock’s timeline), Andrea asked James if there was anyone else “in the dream” (James’s Airplane crash on fire dream). James told her, “Jack” … “Jack Larsen”. “He was a pilot, too”. Sometime later that fall of 2000, Bruce ran internet searches on Jack Larsen but without success. He couldn’t establish whether this Jack Larsen, assuming he was even a real person, was killed or had survived the war (Soul Survivor, p.87), or had served aboard an aircraft carrier.
Finally, Bruce found the website of the Escort Carriers Sailors’ and Airmen’s Association, from which he collected four names. The text in Soul Survivor (pp. 97-100) doesn’t mention that the names (presumably names of WW2 veterans who had served aboard US Navy escort carriers) were associated with any particular carriers. (HOWEVER, Bruce mentions in a recent youtube interview/ 01 July 2022/ that the four names and corresponding contact information were associated with a Natoma Bay escort carrier reunion group listed on the Escort Carriers Sailors' and Airmen's Association website from that time.)
We pick up the text on p.97:
“ . . . he found the Escort Carriers Sailors’ and Airmen’s Association, plucked four names off that Web site, and began to make blind phone calls. One number was disconnected. Another member of the group he sought was in the hospital, dying. A third never answered. The fourth was Leo Pyatt. . .”
The text doesn’t say whether Bruce called Leo because he thought Leo might know who served aboard the Natoma Bay or whether he (Bruce) knew Leo himself had served aboard the Natoma Bay (perhaps from a reference on the website). It just says Bruce called four members of the association, presumably hoping to find information on planes and air crews of the Natoma Bay.
It turns out Leo Pyatt had served aboard the Natoma Bay. And what’s more, he had been an aviation radarman who flew on the carrier’s TBM Avenger aircraft with the carrier’s VC-81 squadron.
Out of the blue, Bruce asked him (Leo) (Soul Survivor, p.100):
“Can you tell me anything about a guy named Jack Larsen?”
He [Leo] didn’t even pause.
“Oh, yeah. I remember Jack. We never saw him again.”
“How do you mean?”
“He flew off one day and we never saw him again.”
GSITS: What are the odds that Bruce was able to connect with, not only a member of the association who served aboard the aircraft carrier Natoma Bay, but a member of the association who had served in an aviation squadron (VC-81) with a pilot named Jack Larsen? On the Natoma Bay. 55 years after the war. Go figure.
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