Roy (Butch) Voris was born in California in 1919. Growing up, he considered becoming a mortician, but a childhood interest in model airplanes ultimately determined his career path. Two years after receiving an Associate degree, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The year was 1941.
He was in flight school when the Japanese military struck Pearl Harbor. A year later, he was flying missions off of aircraft carriers. He was designated a fighter ace after recording 8 fighter-to-fighter kills.
His reputation as an exemplary fighter pilot continued to grow. This led to being selected as one of four Bat Team pilots. The Bat Team got its name because they flew missions at night and would have to land on carriers in total darkness.
After World War II was over, Lieutenant Commander Voris was asked to form an exhibition team of pilots. They were asked to showcase their skills in maneuvers that would bring crowds to their performances. The hope was that the shows would build support for naval aviation in the face of shrinking budgets. They conducted their training in secret so that any mishap would not be visible.
At first, the group was named the Navy Flight Exhibition Team. It was an advertisement for the Blue Angel nightclub that gave them the name that they are known as of today. The Blue Angels were disbanded during the Korean War but resumed their shows after active combat was over.
When he retired from military service, he had received virtually every honor that an aviator could receive. He was selected as one of the 20 aviators who made significant contributions to the field of aviation.
On two occasions, Captain Voris had situations where he survived when virtually no other pilot would have. One was in combat and the other was during a Blue Angels exhibition. In both cases, he brought his plane down safely when it seemed that was an impossibility. These experiences became the stuff of legend.
He died in 2005 at 85. He received full military honors at his death, but when the memorial service ended, there was an additional honor. The existing Blue Angels ended with the missing man formation.
Perhaps the greatest living tribute to Captain Voris is the contribution of the maneuvers that he created. They exemplify the dedication and attention to detail that is needed to protect our nation.
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“You fly as close together as a couple of feet…every once in a while you do a little bump and so forth. People ask me, ‘How close do they fly?’ and I’ll say if we hit each other, it’s too close and if we don’t, we’re too far apart.”–Captain Roy Voris