CDR Lester Arthur “Art” Van Rooy Jr. was a Navy man from his very first breath. He was born in 1942 at Bremerton Naval Hospital in Washington to Navy Warrant Officer “Van” and Irene Van Rooy.

As the son of a naval officer, Art grew up in various Navy towns, ultimately graduating from Oak Harbor High School in Washington. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in 1965. While in college, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve and was later commissioned as an ensign after completing Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.

Art began his active-duty service as a surface warfare officer aboard the USS Lenawee (APA-195) and later served with the Naval Support Activity Saigon during the Vietnam War. One of his most vivid memories from that time was mannin

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