Ralph Ransom Burnell lived a storied life that included serving in three wars and resulted in a maintenance manual for every plane in service during World War II.
Burnell retired after a 30-year career in the U.S. Navy. He also served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Burnell, 94, died Monday. Read his obituary here.
Burnell was a typical teenager in 1941, enlisting in the service, to serve his country in WW II. Burnell was 17 in August 1941 and assigned to the USS Langley, a light (11,000 ton) aircraft carrier.
He was assigned to a Fleet-work group to write a manual on every aircraft in service at that time.
A little more than two years later Burnell was assigned to the aircraft carrier Enterprise (the Big E).
Burnell was a member of Abner Creek Baptist Church.