Blake Wayne Van Leer | |
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Commander in the United States Navy | |
Personal details | |
Born | Berkeley, California, U.S. | January 13, 1926
Died | October 3, 1997 Arlington, Virginia, U.S. | (aged 71)
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Blake R. Van Leer (father) Ella Lillian Wall Van Leer (mother) Maryly Van Leer Peck (sister) |
Alma mater | Princeton University Duke University North Carolina State University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
Awards | Legion of Merit Moreel Medal Meritorious Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal Korean Service Medal Antarctica Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal United Nations Korea Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal[1] |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Years of service | 1943-1971 |
Rank | ![]() |
Commands | ![]() |
Battles/wars | World War II Vietnam War |
Blake Wayne Van Leer (January 13, 1926 – October 3, 1997) was a United States Navy officer who commanded the naval construction Battalion Seabees during World War II and the Vietnam War. He led the expansion of submarine-launched ballistic missile programs and the OMEGA Navigation System used for communication to the U.S. submarine fleet. He received the Legion of Merit award and the Moreel Medal for outstanding contributions to military engineering. He was the son of Georgia Institute of Technology president Blake R. Van Leer and women's rights activist Ella Lillian Wall Van Leer.