His father called him a gangster and became an officer and a gentleman Lenny Gold, a native New Yorker, Brooklyn born and sentenced to The Bronx.
He was born on July 21, 1919. When Lenny was nine years old he would sometimes sneak into local neighborhood junk yards while they were closed and steal hub caps, then he would re-sell these hub caps back to those junk yards. Eventually, Lenny got busted for stealing these hubcaps. His dad called him a gangster and decided to move the entire family to The Bronx, where his dad felt was a good place to raise a gangster. He quickly lost all attraction to crime. Lenny's new interest turns to airplanes and says he was always fascinated with flying. As soon as he was old enough, he enlisted as an aviation cadet. Lenny was sent to California and Arizona for rigorous training and eventually specialized in aerial gunnery. He says the elimination rate was extremely high, but he was determined to make that cut.
Once he completed training, Lt. Gold requested overseas combat duty where he flew P51 and P38, both single and twin-engine airplanes. He says he preferred flying the latter twin engines because they made him feel more secure. He was promoted after flying multiple combat missions and shooting down his share of enemy planes, Gold's next military assignment was with the 33 photo recognizance, shooting areal film and sending them to be analyzed for P-47 Squadrons to eventually target. He enjoyed a remarkable record flying deep into enemy territory. Gold had some close calls with death, but he was very lucky, until March of 1945. Gold, now a Captain says he spotted a large group walking and immediately reported it to the 9th Air Force command in Paris, France. The group was subsequently targeted and most were killed. Later he was told that they were identified as prisoners of war.
Gold says he became extremely upset and emotionally distraught. He lost interest in these missions and some months later he was discharged. Lenny Gold was married and tried to find a job as a commercial pilot, but was repeatedly told they were not hiring Jews, so he landed a job as a carpenter, then a foreman, until he became owner of a construction company building homes and shopping centers. He now owns one on the West Coast. Lenny lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in a lovely high-rise with a million-dollar view of the East River. Lenny, who is now a widower, is a proud father and a prouder grandfather. Now in his nineties, Mr. Gold likes to stay active and reflects on his years as a pilot, as an officer, and as a true gentleman.
Capt. Gold also volunteers his time working on the aircraft carrier Intrepid, which is now a museum called New York City’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex. It is a dynamic, interactive, and educational journey for all ages. The museum’s mission is to honor our nation's heroes, educate the public, and inspire our young people. The retired US army air-corps captain, who piloted over one hundred missions certainly agrees that we should honor those who served in World War II, while some of these American heroes and military veterans are still around. The world is marking the 66th year since the end of the war, and fewer than 2 million of the 16 million men and women who served are still alive. They are dying at a rate of 30,000 per month. The importance of remembering the sacrifices and acts of heroism representative of their service can never be overstated.
No service is more sacred in America than our men and women who bravely serve in our military. However, there is no question that our nation needs to collectively salute our greatest generation. They sacrificed their lives with extreme courage to keep our country safe. We owe them a high degree of gratitude. City Island Images wishes to thank longtime City Island resident, Sgt. Russel Schaller for his assistance in preparing this report.