The U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation Collection: Thomas Onachila Jr. Papers consists of two photographs documenting the USS Leyte (CV-32), an Essex-class aircraft carrier active during the early Cold War and Korean War period. The images, dating circa 1950–1952, include a view of the vessel and a group portrait of its crew.
Thomas J. Onachila, Jr.: Thomas J. Onachila, Jr. was born on August 17, 1919, in Monessen, Pennsylvania to Thomas John Onachila and Mary Josephine Makovsky. He joined the Navy and served for 24 years.
USS Leyte (CV-32): The USS Leyte (CV-32) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, commissioned on April 11, 1946. Built at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Virginia, the carrier was named in honor of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the decisive 1944 naval engagement that secured the Philippines during World War II.
Although completed too late to see action in the Second World War, Leyte played an active role in the early Cold War era. Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, the carrier participated in training exercises, fleet maneuvers, and NATO operations before being transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1950. With the outbreak of the Korean War, Leyte conducted multiple combat deployments, launching air strikes against North Korean and Chinese targets and providing close air support for United Nations ground forces.
In 1953, Leyte was redesignated as an attack carrier (CVA-32) and later as an antisubmarine warfare carrier (CVS-32) as naval strategy evolved. The ship supported Cold War operations and training until decommissioning on May 15, 1959.
This collection contains two black-and-white photographs related to the USS Leyte (CV-32), circa 1950–1952. One photograph depicts the carrier itself, while the other shows members of the ship's crew. These materials provide visual documentation of the vessel and its personnel during a period of heightened naval activity in the Korean War era.
The collection is arranged in a single series and housed in one folder.
Gift of Mr. Bernard J. Onachila
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.
The pubilished books were separated from the collection and are available through Joyner Library's online catalog.