Blake Wayne Van Leer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blake Wayne Van Leer
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| Commander in the United States Navy | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 13, 1926 Berkeley, California |
| Died | October 3, 1997 (aged 71) Arlington, Virginia |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Blake R. Van Leer (father) Ella Lillian Wall Van Leer (mother) Maryly Van Leer Peck (sister) Anthony Wayne (great-great-uncle) |
| Alma mater | Princeton University Duke University North Carolina State University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Awards | Legion of Merit |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1943-1971 |
| Rank |  Captain, Commander |
| Commands |  Seabees |
| Battles/wars | World War II Vietnam War |
Blake Wayne Van Leer (January 13, 1926 – October 3, 1997) was a prominent United States Navy officer and the son of Georgia Institute of Technology's president Blake R. Van Leer and women's rights activist Ella Lillian Wall Van Leer.
Early life and education
Van Leer was born in Berkeley, California on the 13th of January in 1926 and was one of three children. He was part of a prominent academic and military family; his father Blake R. Van Leer was a colonel and university president, his mother a Technologist and principal draftswoman in the Quartermaster general's research department. Van Leer is a descendant of the Van Leer family. His paternal fourth great-grandfather was Samuel Van Leer and fourth great-granduncle General Anthony Wayne who both played an important role in the American Revolutionary War. Van Leer attended Needham B. Broughton High School, studied at North Carolina State University, and received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University. He later obtained a Civil Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduated from the Joint Forces Staff College and has a master's degree in Civil Engineering from Princeton University.
Military service
In 1943, Van Leer enlisted in the Navy and held several prominent positions in the United States Navy. He quickly rose to the rank of a Lieutenant Commander and later a Commander of the construction Battalion known as the Seabees. As a commander, Van Leer led numerous engineering projects for the Navy during the Vietnam War and was later promoted to Captain. in 1966 he led the SeaBee $100 million project for Military development and readiness and later received the Legion of Merit award. This same year he personally lead the expansion of the Polaris Weapons System and Ballistic missile submarine program expansion. Van Leer also complimented this program with an extensive Naval base expansion in Charleston, SC. In 1969, Van Leer received the Moreell Medal, a medal presented for outstanding contribution to military engineering by a civilian or military member of the U.S. Navy's Civil Engineer Corps.
Later in 1969, Van Leer created the well known Seabee "STINGER" system (Seabee Tactical Installed Navy Generated Engineering Resource), which is designed to quickly facilitate the development of troops, construction and resources efficiently during wartime. In 1970, Van Leer was assigned to Fegley Glacier to lead the nuclear research and power unit at McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze. Van Leer lead the construction and opening of Naval Radio Transmitter Facility LaMoure, which is uses a former OMEGA Navigation System station as a VLF transmitter for communications with the US submarine fleet.
Personal life
In 1947, he married Margaret A. Van Leer (former Margaret Anne Weaver), with whom he had three children, Maryanne Van Leer, Wayne Van Leer, and Blake R. Van Leer II, all of who would join the engineering world later on. In 1981 the couple divorced, and in 1982 he married Colleen Jennings Van Leer, with whom he was married until 1997. Van Leer's family had several notable roles in the military. His father was a notable military officer, colonel, engineer and also received awards. During his fathers tenure at Georgia Tech, women were admitted for the first time and steps were made towards integration. His mother was in the Army Nurse Corps, a technologist at the research and development department in Washington. Van Leer's sister Maryly Van Leer Peck is also a notable American academic who is the first woman to receive a M.S. and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and worked as a lead rocket engineer at the United States Naval Research Laboratory. Peck also received the National Community Service Award by the Daughters of the American Revolution organization and both Van Leers are a descendant of Samuel Van Leer, an American Revolutionary War Captain and General Anthony Wayne. After his retirement, Blake Wayne Van Leer became the President and Corporate Administrator of Urban Pathfinders Inc.
