Birthplace of Levi R. Chase,Jr.
LRC was born in this house at 5 Chestnut Street in Cortland,N.Y.and spent his formative years here. He graduated from Cortland High School and attended Syracuse University for several years prior to his entry into the Army Air Corps in 1941.
Boyhood
From what I have been able to determine, LRC had a fairly typical boyhood for the depression era. His main interests as a teenager seem to have been fast cars and girls. He once told me that if he hadn't taken to flying, he would probably have taken up auto racing as a living (need for speed?). His boyhood nickname was"Squeak", reflecting the fact that he was notoriously tight with a buck. He displayed no particular interest in flying until just prior to his enlistment when he had the opportunity to see the Link Aircraft Trainer at an exhibition and meet its inventor.
This is a picture of LRC's parents, Levi R. Chase and Harriet Benedict Chase, taken on their honeymoon in upstate New York at Cranberry Lake. LRC's father was originally from Theresa, N.Y., attended college at Colgate, and moved to Cortland to practice law. He was in private practice, but also served as District Attorney for Cortland County.
LRC's Parents
LRC with his father and mother on an outing in Cortland County. This photo was taken some time just before or during WWII, but the exact date is not known.
LRC with
Parents
