Roy Marlin Voris Captain Roy Marlin " Butch " Voris ( September 19 , 1919 – August 10 , 2005 ) was an aviator in the United States Navy , a World War II flying ace , and founder of the Navy ' s flight demonstration squadron , the Blue Angels . During his 22 - year naval career Voris flew everything from biplanes to modern jets , and afterward was instrumental in the development of the Navy ' s F - 14 Tomcat strike fighter and NASA ' s Apollo Lunar Module ( LM ) , both produced by the Grumman Aerospace Corporation . Often called a " fighter pilot ' s fighter pilot " and ranked with other better - known American military aviation greats such as Gregory " Pappy " Boyington and Chuck Yeager , Voris was a big man with close - cropped hair , known for his even - temperedness and coolness in the cockpit . Owing to his superb piloting skills , he survived numerous accidents and emergency situations . Voris was nearly killed by a Japanese Zero that attacked his aircraft during the defense of Guadalcanal in what he later described as his first " real " dog fight ( which earned him a Purple Heart ) . Early years . Voris was born in Los Angeles , California but was raised in Aptos , and later Santa Cruz ( where he attended high school ) . He briefly considered a career as a mortician , but instead decided to enroll in Salinas Junior College , receiving his Associate ' s degree there in 1939 . As a youngster , Voris ( whose hobby was building model airplanes out of balsa wood and tissue paper ) was thrilled by the exploits of Eddie Rickenbacker and other World War I aces , and would spend hours watching the big planes come into Mines Field ( Los Angeles Airport ) . It is therefore no surprise that in 1941 the twenty - two - year - old Voris answered the call of a recruiting poster and enlisted in the Navy . He related the story in an April , 2004 interview : " " When the war clouds were rolling in , I was living in San Francisco . I walked past a big recruitment sign that said " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > Fly Navy < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > " with a pilot looking off into the wild blue yonder standing on the wing of the plane . " " Voris passed a series of exams and was called to duty in Oakland a month later . Voris entered the Navy ' s flight training program , and was still in flight school when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched its attack on Pearl Harbor . He received his commission , was promoted to the rank of Ensign and got his " wings of gold " ( which identified him as a naval aviator ) at NAS Corpus Christi in February , 1942 . Voris was soon flying combat missions off the aircraft carrier USS " Enterprise " in the South Pacific . Military career . World War II . Voris took part in countless fighter attacks against enemy airfields and other installations as the Navy advanced through the Pacific Theater of Operations . During his initial deployment he piloted the Grumman F4F Wildcat with Fighter Squadron 10 ( VF - 10 ) , the Grim Reapers , under the command of Vice Admiral James H . Flatley aboard the aircraft carrier . On his next cruise he flew Grumman F6F Hellcat s with VF - 2 , the Rippers , out of the battles at Guadalcanal in support of the 1st Marine Division , off the " Enterprise " , and later the . Aboard the " Hornet " , Voris saw action in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands , the Battle of Tarawa , and the Battle of the Philippine Sea ( the so - called " Great Marianas Turkey Shoot " wherein over 300 Japanese aircraft were shot down by American fliers , who enjoyed a more than 12 - to - 1 kill - to - loss ratio in one day ) . It is during these engagements in the Pacific War that he earned " fighter ace " status , recording a total of eight confirmed fighter - to - fighter kills . Voris rejoined the " Enterprise " and VF - 2 after recovering from his injuries , where he was chosen by Lieutenant Commander Edward " Butch " O ' Hare and Admiral Arthur W . Radford as one of four " Bat Team " fighter pilots to conduct experimental night fighter operations to intercept and destroy enemy bombers attacking Allied landing forces on the atoll of Tarawa . He was assigned to the famed " Mission into Darkness " which was launched near dusk in pursuit of the Japanese fleet . Knowing they would likely exhaust their fuel supplies long before returning to the safety of their carrier , the flight nevertheless sought out their target . Voris landed on fumes after shooting down a Japanese Zero fighter and flying by dead reckoning in total darkness . After the War ' s end , Voris ( now holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander ) was assigned as Chief Instructor for advanced tactics at the Naval Advanced Training Command ( NATC ) at Naval Air Station Daytona Beach , Florida . Blue Angels 1st tour ( 1946 – 1947 ) . In 1946 , Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester Nimitz ordered the formation of a flight exhibition team to boost Navy morale , demonstrate naval air power , and maintain public interest in naval aviation . However , an underlying mission was to help the Navy generate public and political support for a larger allocation of the shrinking defense budget . Another reason was to show potential recruits that aviation was inherently safe once pilots were trained . Being able to perform 3 - dimensional close proximity maneuvering would also be awe inspiring . In April of that year , Rear Admiral Ralph Davison personally selected Voris to assemble and train a flight demonstration squadron , naming him Officer - in - Charge and Flight Leader . Voris selected two fellow instructors to join him ( Lt . Maurice " Wick " Wickendoll and Lt . Mel Cassidy , both veterans of the War in the Pacific ) , and the three spent countless hours developing the show . The group perfected their initial maneuvers in secret over the Florida Everglades so that , in Voris ' words , " " . . . if anything happened , just the alligators would know . " " Another significant driving factor for Voris ( and the secrecy ) was the fact that Army Air Corps aeronautical genius , hero and legend , Jimmy Doolittle , now a general in the newly created U . S . Air Force , might just create a similar aerial demonstration team and beat the Navy in going public . Their first demonstration before Navy officials took place on May 10 , 1946 and was met with enthusiastic approval . On June 15 Voris led a trio of Grumman F6F - 5 Hellcats , specially modified to reduce weight and painted sea blue with gold leaf trim , through their inaugural 15 - minute - long performance at the Southern Air Show at Jacksonville , Florida ' s Craig Field . The group , known simply as the " Navy Flight Exhibition Team , " thrilled spectators with low - flying maneuvers performed in tight formations , and ( according to Voris ) by " " . . . keeping something in front of the crowds at all times . My objective was to beat the Army Air Corps . If we did that , we ' d get all the other side issues . I felt that if we weren ' t the best , it would be my naval career " . " The Blue Angels ' first public demonstration also netted the team its first trophy , which sits on display at the team ' s current home in Naval Air Station Pensacola . The team soon became known worldwide for its spectacular aerobatic stunts . During a trip to the " Big Apple , " Lt . Wickendoll came across an advertisement in " The New Yorker " for the city ' s popular " Blue Angel " nightclub . Voris liked the name and on July 19 officially made it the team ' s moniker . On August 25 the squadron upgraded their aircraft to the F8F - 1 Bearcat . Though Voris left the team on May 30 , 1947 the " Blues " continued to perform nationwide until the start of the Korean War in 1950 , when ( due to a shortage of pilots ) the team was disbanded and its members were ordered to combat duty . Once aboard the aircraft carrier the group formed the core of VF - 191 , Satan ' s Kittens . 1947 – 1951 . In the Summer of 1947 , Voris was attached to the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington , D . C . ( where he spent the next two years ) ; he also married his high school sweetheart , Thea . From June 9 , 1949 to January 20 , 1950 Lt . Cdr . Voris led VF - 113 , the Stingers , home ported at Naval Air Station San Diego . The Blue Angels were officially recommissioned in October , 1951 , and Voris was again tasked with assembling the flight team ( he was the first of only two commanding officers to lead the group twice ) . Blue Angels 2nd tour ( 1952 – 1953 ) . Voris returned to re - form and lead the Blue Angels , this time flying the combat - proven F9F - 5 Panther fighter jet . In the Summer of 1952 , during a demonstration for United States Naval Academy midshipmen at NAS Corpus Christi , Voris ' and another plane collided in midair : Voris blacked out momentarily , regaining consciousness a mere twenty - five feet above the ground , while still traveling at 400 knots : Despite losing almost all control of his aircraft resulting from its nearly - severed tail section , Voris miraculously managed to land safely ; tragically , the pilot who hit the water died . The team was back in the air two weeks later . Voris stayed with the team until December , 1952 when he was selected to take command of Satan ' s Kittens aboard the . He was considered by the Blue Angels to be the " father " of the team right up until his death . 1952 – 1963 . After his second tour with the " Blues , " Voris rounded out his career by going on to skipper VF - 191 , and ( after being promoted to the rank of Commander ) Attack Carrier Air Group 5 ( CAG - 5 ) aboard the . Voris retired at the rank of Captain in 1963 . Post - Military career . Upon his retirement from the Navy , Captain Voris went to work for the Grumman Corporation in Bethpage , New York , assisting in the development of the Navy ' s F - 14 Tomcat and NASA ' s Lunar Module . In 1973 he accepted a position in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ' s ( NASA ) Office of Industry Affairs . In 1985 , Voris retired and he and his wife moved to Monterey , California . Voris ' unpretentious manner and good humor kept him in demand as a speaker at air shows and other aviation - related events . He remained active in naval aviation through a variety of organizations such as the Golden Eagles , a highly - distinguished and select group of Naval and Marine Corps aviators . Decorations and honors . During his more than two decades of military service , Captain Voris received 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses , 11 Air Medals , 3 Presidential Unit Citations , and the Purple Heart , along with a dozen other medals . In 1993 , Voris was honored at the United States Air Force ' s annual " Gathering of Eagles " ceremony as one of twenty aviators worldwide who have made significant contributions in the field of aviation . He was inducted into the International Air Show Hall of Fame in 2000 , and the Navy Aviation Hall of Fame in Pensacola , Florida in May , 2002 . The 2004 California Air Show held in Salinas , California was dedicated in his honor . An aircraft bearing Voris ' name sits outside the Jacksonville Naval Air Station , where the passenger terminal is also named for him . On October 10 , 2005 a memorial service was held at the Fort Ord Main Chapel in the town of Seaside , California . Immediately thereafter , full military honors ( which included a 21 - gun salute and the traditional folding and presentation of the American flag ) followed . The service ended with a six - plane missing man formation flyover by the Blue Angels . " " Butch Voris ’ contributions to naval aviation and the nation ’ s history were epic " , " said Cdr . Steve Foley , flight leader and commanding officer of the 2005 Blue Angels . " " Concluding his memorial service with a fly - by the 2005 Blue Angel team will be a highlight of not only this season , but our careers as naval aviators as well . It truly reinforces our responsibility to preserve the legacy and ideals Boss Voris bestowed upon us 59 years ago . " Said Lt . Garrett Kasper , public spokesman for the Blue Angels , " " It is our team ’ s honor to conduct a flyby , as our final salute to Captain Voris , and the most fitting way we can pay our respects to the Voris family " . " To this day , in living tribute to their founder , The Blue Angels fly the tightest formations of any aerial demonstration teams , while executing precise maneuvers with a mere 18 inches wingtip - to - canopy separation .