The Archives of LeRoy Crooks

06/06/2023

Secret Squirrels chasing each other…

12/25/2022

11/11/2022

11/11/2022

Posing with the #4 engine of his stricken PB4Y photo ship, my father was a Navy “Secret Squirrel”. His love of photography led him into the Office of Strategic Services ( OSS ) / CIA where he did still photographic and 16mm movie work for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I miss him every day and constantly wish I had asked him a lot more questions about his life….
I hope that all the Veterans out there had a wonderful day and realize how important they are to us.

07/11/2020

Dad made quite a few movies for the Florida Development Commission. I’m glad that the State Archives had this copy because my print deteriorated years ago. Thought you might enjoy this, Tom Smith!

07/10/2020

01/10/2020

Some shots that dad took for Sequence in one of the movies he made for the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
I found the National Sun not too long ago in some of his files.

09/12/2019

This is some of the information on Cavalier / Trans-Florida Aviation that dad had filed away. He had done some movie work the Lindsay family. I have no idea where the film is or if it even exists today.

07/22/2019

Just a small snapshot of some of the films dad made.

10/26/2018

2 August 1943, Gladstone Dry Lakebed, CA. OSS photo documentation mission. This PB4Y-1 (Navy B-24D) that dad was in had an emergency landing when the right gear collapsed and took out #4 engine. If I remember correctly, he was photographing the FF 5s as he called it which were the new 5” air to ground rockets for attack fighters. A day later a C-47 brought in a new engine, prop, and mechanics. The plane was flown back to N.A.S. San Diego for more repairs.

10/21/2017

Dad's copy of John Ford's fitness report signed by him.

10/21/2017

Nice letter from famous movie director John Ford