Veteran Spotlight: Navy Senior Chief Lester Connolly

SANDWICH, Mass. — Lester Connolly served his country in the Navy as a senior chief from 1950 to 1978. 

 

Born in Dorchester, he was one of six children born to Irish immigrants William and Mary Ellen Connolly. At 92 years of age, he is sharp as a tack and speaks with humility and pride.

 

"Both my parent came directly from Ireland," he said. "Mom went to church every day. She would tell me 'the only two people at church were me and the priest.'"

 

He grew up with an immensely strong work ethic at a very young age. "Started work at  11 years old," he said. "Everywhere I went, I ran — used a pushcart to deliver groceries — everything I made, I always put on the table for my mother."

 

Connolly would enlist after his high school graduation at the tender age of 17 and do his basic training at the Squantum Naval Air Station. "Didn't bother me at all, the physical and mental part. I was with a good group of people," he recalled. 

 

Military service was part of Connolly's family: his father served during World War I, his older brother Bill was a glider pilot with the Airborne, brother Jimmy was a Marine and brother Jack was in the Army. He also had two sisters. 

 

His first assignment would be right at Squantum for anti-submarine warfare where he would receive on the job training as a flight engineer. Connolly not only worked on the airplanes but would fly them as well. 

 

"Flew mostly in the P-2, which was replaced by the P-3," he said. "[Cuban leader Fidel] Castro was running guns at the time so we had to keep an eye on him. Sometimes we were about 50 feet off the water."

 

He was part of the blockade at the Bay of Pigs, flying reconnaissance. His long-range patrols would take him not only throughout North America, but all over the world to Italy, Spain, Newfoundland and Morocco to name just a few.

 

Senior Chief Connolly shared his fascination with flying. 

 

"I went to trade school at a young age. I was about 11 and was working in my back yard, looked up

and saw about 30 planes flying in formation," he said. "It just struck me so — I knew right then and there that I wanted to fly.

 

"It was awesome, I structured my whole life around that moment. I always volunteered for training missions— I just wanted to fly." 

 

Was he ever afraid? "Can't say I was. I'm an extremely devout Catholic, always have had a very strong religious conviction. Plus, we were too busy," he said. "We had an electrical fire once when we were about 200 miles out but we did what our training prepared us for and put it out. We had another situation when we were flying in a thunderstorm — the plane did everything but turn upside down, updrafts, downdrafts, had no control of the plane for 15  minutes.

 

"Another time we were on a surveillance mission in Maine and Nova Scotia watching the Russians. They had about 40 boats that were supposed to be fishing boats. They all had antennas and were spying on us. We dropped down to about 50 feet and scared the heck out of them … had'em all ducking," he said with

a laugh. 

 

His military career would take him all over the country with assignments at Point Mugu Naval Air Station in California as well as North Island in San Diego.

 

He would retire out of Moffett Field in California. He expressed sadness at the passing of his wife some years ago but strongly maintained that he has had a wonderful life. 

 

"My wife raised three beautiful children and did a wonderful job raising them. She was the oldest of 11 in her family," he recalled. 

 

Thoughts on service? "Never gave it a thought. It was my duty, I just shut up and did it."

 

Senior Chief Lester Connolly, thank you for your service to our great country.