To help commemorate the 4th of July the Apex Lions at its July 2 meeting had as its speaker Harold L. Buell, CMDR USN (Ret.). He earned his Navy wings a month before Pearl Harbor flying the SBD Dauntless and the SBD2C Helldiver aircraft. His combat cruises were from the aircraft carriers Yorktown, Saratoga, Enterprise and Hornet.

Cmdr. Buell is the only carrier pilot to have survived all five of the carrier-vs.-carrier battles in the Pacific during WWII. These included Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz and the Philippine Sea.

In all Buell saw action in sixteen major engagements and has received numerous decorations including the Navy Cross, Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Purple Hearts and four Presidential Unit Citations. In addition to his WWII service he continued his career on the carrier Saipan during the Korean War.

Once he retired from the Navy he earned his Masters and PhD degrees at Florida State and had a second career in education and mental health and authored a book entitled “Dauntless Helldivers” detailing his exploits.

This truly American hero currently resides in Fuquay-Varina with his daughter and son-in-law and will shortly turn 90 years old.

The Apex Lions meet on the first and third Thursday of the month at 6:45 p.m. at the CC Jones Building on Holleman Street. For further information contact Club Secretary, Nick Somma, at 481-1888.