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This account is about Buzzy Baur and some documents that he gave me, Hersch Pahl, for safe keeping
and to use in any honorable way that I deemed proper.
Many people in the "Aircraft Carrier Navy" were well aware that Buzzy Baur was the one
person who had more contact with Butch O'Hare than just about anyone. His contact with Butch began early in both
of their careers including the time that he shot down several enemy aircraft. It continued on through the early
formation of VF-3 on Maui; the squadron's return to San Diego; the formation of the new squadron (VF-6); the return
to Maui and the three combat tours made by VF-6 through to the end of the War in '45. I also covered the final
decommissioning of Butch's Squadron in Nov '45.
Whenever a need for first-hand information about Butch was needed, one could be sure that Buzzy was
among those to be contacted.
The first time the need was required was when planning was taking place to bring an F4F "Wildcat"
fighter plane to Chicago and display it in the O'Hare International Airport. The plane, a real trophy, was to be
dedicated in Honor of Butch.
Buzzy first learned about it through the VF-6 news letter put out by Mark Maxwell (Honorary member
of VF-6) and then an official request came to Buzzy from a Mr. James Bryan.
The answer that Buzzy sent to Mr. James Bryan is one of the documents that Buzzy gave to me for safe
keeping. That two page letter on his own stationary to Mr. James Bryan dated August 12, 1993, is included next...
About six months later Buzzy was included in another request for personal information about Butch
which could be used by two gentlemen, Steve Ewing and John B. Lundstrom, who had teamed up to write a story about
the life of Butch O'Hare. The letter came from Steve Ewing, Senior Curator of the Naval and Maritime Museum at
PATRIOTS POINT. He told of
the plans that he and his co-author had for the research and writing. He specifically requested stories that any
one may wish to share concerning Butch's life and ask that they be forwarded to him. Among other things, they were
interested in knowing how they had come to know him.
Note: A copy of Steve Ewing's letter is posted next...
Buzzy responded by letter a short time later by first referring them to the letter he had recently
sent to Mr. Bryan about his experience with Butch the day he shot down several Enemy planes while protecting the
Lexington. Then he penned "the rest of the Story" as it concerned Butch and sent it to Mr. Steve Ewing.
A copy of that letter which Buzzy gave to me shortly before his demise (7-9-'04) for safe keeping, is included
next...
Since Buzzy provided the above information as requested, Steve Erwin and John B. Lundstrom have published
their outstanding book Fateful Rendezvous about the life of Butch O'Hare.
On 12 March '97, they sent a Thank-You letter to Buzzy for his help. A copy of that letter is included
here...
Then sometime after that and a short time before his untimely death on July 9, 2004, Buzzy gave me
a packet of papers for safe keeping and for possible use in some respectable manner. Buzzy did not spell out exactly
how he wanted the documents used, but he knew that I was a writer of sorts, and had a copy of the first edition
of my POINT OPTION, which he had read and with which he was well pleased.
He must have had a feeling that I might be writing some more in the future, and asked about that
very thing when he and his bride, Margie, visited us on our farm in Missouri about 1998.
Following that visit to our place, Buzzy and I exchanged several letters in which he told me other
interesting things about the early days and about his buddies that he always referred to as "Butch's boys".
I intend to hold them as reference material to answer questions that often come from their kinfolks.
Five years after Buzzy's death and about 12 years after the book, "Fateful Rendezvous" was
published, it seems only fitting and proper to preserve his writings by putting them in my web in a special section
called "Archives of VF-6". The works of Clide E. "Buzzy" Baur will then be properly preserved
for posterity.
You can read more about Buzzy and the role he played with Butch O'Hare's VF-3 and VF-6 in my dedication
to my dear friend, Buzzy Baur Here.
- Hersch Pahl
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