Lou Lenart

Louis Lenart (; April 24, 1921 – July 20, 2015) was a Hungarian-born American-Israeli fighter pilot. He served as a fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and the fledgling Israeli Air Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He was also a film producer and sports team manager. His exploits in the 1948 war were documented in the 2015 documentary film A Wing and a Prayer.

Early life Lenart was born in Hungary as Lajos Lenovitz to a Jewish family in 1921, in the town of Sátoraljaújhely, near the Czechoslovak border. His parents were farmers. When he was ten, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Pennsylvania mining town of Wilkes-Barre, where his parents ran a small store. As a boy, he endured antisemitic taunts and beatings.

Marine service After finishing high school and taking a bodybuilding course, Lenart enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After 18 months of infantry training, he was accepted into flight school. During flight training, he was severely injured in a mid-air collision. He saw action in the Pacific Theater of World War II as an F4U Corsair pilot, serving in the Battle of Okinawa and in bombing missions over Japan. He was discharged from the Marines at the end of the war with the rank of captain.

Later life After the war, Lenart participated in Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, the airlift of Iraqi Jews to Israel in the early 1950s, served as a pilot for El Al, and flew aerial mapping missions over the jungles of Central America.

He produced six feature films. These include "Iron Eagle" and "Iron Eagle 2". Lenart's final movie project had the working title First Strike, and used Operation Opera, the 1981 attack on Iraq's reactor, as a story line. The script was written by his friend Lynn Garrison, who would also direct the aerial sequences.

Lenart was the general manager of the San Diego Clippers in the early 1980s.

Naval Aviator BadgeAir Medalw/ " Gold StarNavy Presidential Unit Citationw/ " Bronze StarMarine Corps Good Conduct MedalAmerican Defense Service Medalw/ " Bronze StarAmerican Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medalw/ three " Bronze StarsWorld War II Victory Medal

Lenart received the following decoration for his service in the Israeli Air Force: