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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2016 19 DUANE TARPENNING: We'll start this sketch with Duane's family moving from Nebraska to Oregon in 1942 and becoming farmers. He vividly recalls milking cows twice a day at 7 am and 7 pm. In high school he played football where he was a left halfback (remember the single wing?) and corner back. With his parents' permission Duane joined the Navy right after he graduated from high school in 1944. He entered the Navy's V-12 program. The purpose of the V-12 program was to generate a large number of officers for both the US Navy and Marine Corps to meet the demands of World War II. Part of the program required attending college. After attending Willamette College in Oregon and University of Washington in the NROTC program, he was commissioned Ensign in 1948 and started flight school in Pensacola, Florida receiving his wings in 1950. His first assignment was the carrier USS PRINCETON. I asked if there was a particular flight that was memorable. He said nothing really stood out but there was one incident that was pretty "hairy" (my word). He was practicing night landings on the carrier USS BON HOMME RICHARD. It was, of course dark, the deck was pitching and the plane's fuel was low. Duane made a safe landing on his third pass. During his 26 years of service he also served aboard USS TICONDEROGA and USS CONSTELLATION. In 1965, while attached to Staff, Commander Fleet Air, Western Pacific, Duane was in charge of Operation SHOEHORN. The purpose of the project was to place a large piece of electronic detection equipment on strike aircraft in a small, cramped area. This program was so successful that Duane was known as Mister Shoehorn. For his service he received the Legion of Merit. Duane actually met his wife to be, June, in 1947 on the same Oregon farm where he had previously lived. They were married in June of 1950. I asked Duane what he enjoyed doing and he said as little as possible. I doubt that. I know that he and June are in the gym almost daily and Duane won a gold medal in the recent OLDlympics taking on the 1500M walk. Not bad for a fella turning 90 this month. Duane in a Panther cockpit Legion of Merit Above; Duane with Navy memorabilia Left: Hey, sailor! Duane 1944 BRAVO ZULU (well done!). Duane and Bob – Thank you for your service.

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