 VP-140 Shipmates
 "...BODOR, WO4 Guy H...Guy H. Bodor, Pearl Harbor Survivor And IBM Official, 82 - Mr. Bodor, of Aurora, Illinois, a decorated World War II veteran and retired customer service engineer with IBM, died of natural causes Monday, December 20, 2004, at Provena McAuley Manor in Aurora, at the age of 82. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Guy H. Bodor had just finished night-shift duty in the Navy aboard the USS San Francisco. Family members said the ship was docked for repairs and unarmed. "He had just sat down to breakfast, when all of a sudden he heard boom, boom, boom," said his daughter Jeanne Larson. "After that he didn't really tell us anything more about what happened that day, because I think he wanted to protect us. He'd always say, `There's really no reason to talk about it.'" Mr. Bodor was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Louis, was an aviation expert who taught people how to fly planes during the late 1910s and early 1920s. The early part of Mr. Bodor's childhood was spent in Davenport, Iowa, before his family moved to Chicago's [Illinois] North Side. He attended Senn High School. Mr. Bodor enlisted in the Navy in 1940 and completed boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station. He then attended Aviation Radio School in San Diego, California. Family members said he spent 56 months as a radioman in the Pacific theater, participating in the Wake Island relief expedition, the attack on the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, air action off Bougainville, the Salamaua-Lae Raid, the Battle of Cape Esperance and the Battle of Guadalcanal. In 1943 Mr. Bodor was assigned to VB-140, based in the Russell Islands for the New Georgia-Bougainville-New Ireland campaigns. Family members said he later was reassigned to VPB-123 and participated in the Okinawa invasion. Mr. Bodor was decorated many times, including receiving a Purple Heart for injuries suffered in the Battle of Guadalcanal, for which his unit received the first Presidential Unit Citation, family members said. He also was awarded the Naval Air Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, American Defense Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign-Pacific Operations Medal and the Naval Reserve Medal for faithful service. "He was so humble about all his medals from the war," his daughter said. "He'd always say, `I'm no hero, I just did the right thing at the time.'" Mr. Bodor continued his service after the war in the Naval Reserve and was called to active duty in 1961. While in the Reserve, he attained the rank of chief warrant officer 4, serving until his retirement in 1982. In 1946 Mr. Bodor joined IBM, working in its main office in Chicago and later in its Aurora office. He retired as a senior customer service engineer. Mr. Bodor was active in the community at SciTech Hands-On Museum, Golden Kiwanis and New England Congregational Church. He also was a member of the Naval Order of the United States and served as president of the Aurora Navy League - Chicago Tribune..." Google WebSite http://www.google.com/ [11SEP2005]
DALTON, ARM1c W. B. monkd@webtv.net "...I served with VB-140 from 1943 through 1944. I am seeking old Shipmates from this squadron..." [01JAN2001]
McHUGH, George F. Jr. gfm@sbcglobal.net "...Joined VB/VPB-140 when it was formed at NAS Alameda, California. Munda Airfield, New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands detachment. Reasigned after move to NAS Alameda, California 1944..." [14SEP2007]
SCHAFFER, Carl the2coolcats@webtv.net "...We were in the Solomon Is. based on the Russell Is.the last part of '43 and the first part of '44..." [16MAR2001]
WENNERBERG, Don L. marthawenn@dfsi.net "...I served in the Solomon Islands VB-140 in '43-44. Would like contact with onyone in my squadron..." [24SEP2001]
"VP-140 Summary Page"
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