Edit: Maybe Butch O'Hare's Hellcat

"f86sabre" (f86sabre) 03/06/2018 at 10:46 • Filed to: Planelopnik

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Then and now. Thanks to Chris Clarke. O’Hare International Airport is named after Butch who was a Medal of Honor recipient. Edit: tail number might be #5 and not the same as Butch’s #3. Still a close match and a cool find.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > f86sabre 03/06/2018 at 10:53

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well thats cool

WilliamsSW > f86sabre 03/06/2018 at 11:02

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Nice!! And I really wish this exhibit wasn’t just buried in a forgotten corner of O’Hare:

Hammerdown > f86sabre 03/06/2018 at 11:08

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but wait,

According to Wikipedia he left the Lexington after after the New Guinea raid in 1942. When he returned to service, it was on the Enterprise. He was not (from what I’ve read) stationed on on the Lexington when it went down. He was shot down during a mission he flew off the Enterprise.

Still cool, but unless somebody knows something I don’t, it’s not his plane.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > WilliamsSW 03/06/2018 at 11:26

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lol i didnt know they had that there, which terminal is it in?

WilliamsSW > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 03/06/2018 at 11:41

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Terminal 2 - once you go through security there, I believe you turn right and it’s back in the corner, near the walkway to Terminal 1 (United).

f86sabre > Hammerdown 03/06/2018 at 11:42

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Might be tail #5. Either way it’s still pretty cool.

ranwhenparked > WilliamsSW 03/06/2018 at 20:34

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Where’s that in relation to the Wicker Park Sushi?

Edit: just looked at the map, appears to be pretty damn close, how the hell have I missed it?

WilliamsSW > ranwhenparked 03/06/2018 at 20:43

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I’m not familiar with Terminal 2 at all — I fly American 99% of the time

ttyymmnn > f86sabre 03/08/2018 at 00:37

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Well, the Lady Lex was sunk in 1942, and O’Hare died in 1943. So, I guess it could have been a plane O’Hare flew at one time, but the odds are pretty long. Most likely it’s just another F4F from VF-3.

Wikipedia also has this picture which indicates that O’Hare is in the second ship, F-13. This was taken during his stint on Lexington . Which makes me wonder if the pilots always flew the same aircraft, or flew what was available at the time. The Felix insignia is clearly visible.

Felix the Cat is alive and well, though, and is still the squadron insignia, though VF-3 is now VFA-31.