Raleigh Rhodes
Encyclopedia
Raleigh Ernest Rhodes who often went by the nickname
of Raleigh "Dusty" Rhodes, was an American
World War II
combat fighter pilot
and the third leader of the Blue Angels
flight team.
aircraft carrier
during World War II
. He was shot down and captured by Japan
ese forces during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
in October 1942 in the Solomon Islands
.
Rhodes spent in the next three years in a Japanese prison camp
. He weighed 88 pounds when he was released from his captivity, in which he was starved and beaten.
Rhodes joined the Blue Angels
precision flying team in 1947 after his recovery, and soon after became the flight leader.
Rhodes helped the Blue Angels perfect the diamond barrel roll
, a complicated aerial maneuver
in which four Blue Angels jets perform a loop in a tight diamond formation before becoming inverted at the top of the formation
. The Blue Angels became extremely popular with the public.
Rhodes returned to an active combat role with the U.S. Navy. He flew fighter plane missions from an aircraft carrier during the Korean War
. Following the Korean War, Rhodes was stationed at several naval air station
s, including the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
, Monterey
and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
.
Rhodes was awarded two Purple Heart
s and three Air Medals during his twenty years of active duty in the Navy. He retired from the Navy in 1961 at the rank of commander
.
Rhodes worked as a project planner for Lockheed Martin
facility in Sunnyvale, California
, for the next 30 years.
on November 26, 2007, in San Jose, California
, at the age of 89. He was survived by his wife, Pauline, two daughters and a son.
Rhodes' former wife, Betty, died in 2005. His son, Raleigh E. Rhodes Jr., also died of lung cancer in July 2007.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
of Raleigh "Dusty" Rhodes, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
combat fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
and the third leader of the Blue Angels
Blue Angels
The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
flight team.
Pilot
Rhodes was a fighter pilot based on board the USS Enterprise (CV-6)USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was shot down and captured by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese forces during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
in October 1942 in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.
Rhodes spent in the next three years in a Japanese prison camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. He weighed 88 pounds when he was released from his captivity, in which he was starved and beaten.
Rhodes joined the Blue Angels
Blue Angels
The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
precision flying team in 1947 after his recovery, and soon after became the flight leader.
Rhodes helped the Blue Angels perfect the diamond barrel roll
Barrel roll
A barrel roll is an aerial maneuver in which an airplane makes a complete rotation on its longitudinal axis while following a helical path, approximately maintaining its original direction. It is sometimes described as "a combination of a loop and a roll"...
, a complicated aerial maneuver
Maneuver
Maneuver, manoeuvre may be a synonym for strategy or tactic. It is the manipulation of a situation in order to gain some advantage.- Military or naval movement :* Military exercise...
in which four Blue Angels jets perform a loop in a tight diamond formation before becoming inverted at the top of the formation
Formation
Formation may refer to:* Formation flying, aerobatics performed with several aircraft* Formation , a high-level military organization* Tactical formation, the physical deployment of military forces-Sports:...
. The Blue Angels became extremely popular with the public.
Rhodes returned to an active combat role with the U.S. Navy. He flew fighter plane missions from an aircraft carrier during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Following the Korean War, Rhodes was stationed at several naval air station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
s, including the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...
, Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , formerly Naval Air Station Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...
.
Rhodes was awarded two Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s and three Air Medals during his twenty years of active duty in the Navy. He retired from the Navy in 1961 at the rank of commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
.
Rhodes worked as a project planner for Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
facility in Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, for the next 30 years.
Death
Raleigh Rhodes died of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on November 26, 2007, in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, at the age of 89. He was survived by his wife, Pauline, two daughters and a son.
Rhodes' former wife, Betty, died in 2005. His son, Raleigh E. Rhodes Jr., also died of lung cancer in July 2007.