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Lester Stanley “Les” Kirshner was born in the Bronx, NY, to Harry
Kirshner and his wife, Ruth. Les lived in New York until his parents moved to El
Monte, CA, with Les and his sister Eileen during World War II.
Les attended the Virgil Junior High School and Belmont High
School, where he majored in mathematics. He was also an active member of the Boy
Scouts. Les showed an early interest in military service as a cadet in the
Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps in high school. First granted an alternate
appointment to Annapolis, he declined it in favor of a principal appointment to
West Point, entering in July 1950 with the other new cadets of the Class of
1954.
Les quickly and happily had adopted the outdoor lifestyle of
California. He loved the beach and spent as much time there as he could. He
learned to drive at age 16, and his first car was a 1931 Ford coupe that he
worked on and restored before he left for West Point. He obtained a student
pilot’s license, also at the age of 16, earning flying time by washing airplanes
at the local airport. He joined the Civil Air Patrol and participated in their
activities until joining the West Point Class of 1954.
Les was a good student, standing well up in his class and also
had a wide range of interests outside of academics. Although not a regular
participant in any team athletic activities excepting intramural sports, he was
very interested in gun sports and an active member of the Pistol and Rifle
Clubs. A staunch supporter of corps squad athletics, Les was a member of the
Cheerleading Squad during his second and first class years, serving as a
muleskinner and mule rider. He took part in winter sports as a member of the Ski
Club, and was involved at various times with the Sailing, Camera, and Weight
Lifting Clubs. He also was active in the French and Russian Language Clubs.
Les had an experience during his third class year that left an
indelible impression and had a significant impact on the rest of his life. He
went home at the end of 1951 to spend the Christmas holiday with his family,
intending to return to West Point with a number of other cadets on an Air Force
flight that was scheduled to arrive at Stewart Field late on New Year’s Day. His
mother, concerned about the planned late arrival of the flight in New York,
borrowed the money from a family friend and purchased a ticket for Les on a
commercial airline flight that would enable him to return to West Point at an
earlier hour. In one of the sadder events in West Point cadet history, the Air
Force flight crashed in the mountains near Phoenix, AZ, killing the crew and all
passengers aboard—eleven of them cadets in the Class of 1954.
Les liked the movies and enjoyed attending those offered on
weekends at the Academy. He liked many different kinds of films and watched as
many as he could. As a result of his frequent film going, he developed a crush
on a young actress named Piper Laurie. He wrote to her—via her studio—for
pictures and—after some persistence— later was invited to take part, in uniform,
in a photo opportunity with the actress while he was home on leave. Les also had
wide musical tastes, mostly in popular music; however, after attending a filmed
performance of the Offenbach opera, The Tales of Hoffman, he bought a
recording of the soundtrack and played it regularly. His love of music continued
to grow and stayed with him for the rest of his life.
While a cadet, and as part of his Southern California lifestyle,
Les wore his pilot-style, wrap-around sunglasses whenever the sun was out and he
was able to enjoy its heat and other beneficial effects. He also had a sun lamp
that he used to maintain—as best he could—a sun tan that would stand him in good
stead during his visits to California. Because of his civilian flying
experience, Les was interested in the Air Force, but after learning that he had
physical limitations that prevented him from being considered for pilot
training, Les chose the Artillery Branch for his military career.
Les married his long-time girlfriend and fiancé, Joyce Lightner,
shortly after graduation. After graduation leave, he attended officer basic
training at Ft. Sill, OK, and jump school at Ft. Benning, GA. He was stationed
at Ft. Lewis, WA, where he served out the rest of his active duty time.
After leaving active duty in the Army in 1957, Les was employed
by Litton Industries in Sacramento, CA, as a field-marketing representative
working with the Army. He moved with Litton to Los Angeles and, while working
with Litton, purchased a real estate franchise in Tarzana, CA. He eventually
left Litton to pursue a full-time career in real estate.
Les and his wife had five children, three boys and two girls. In
addition to being a dedicated family man, Les loved his home and workshop. He
continued to maintain a wide range of outside interests. Besides his ongoing
love of music, he developed an interest and advanced skills in photography, and
occupied himself with sailing, model building, and the restoration of old cars.
Les died on 28 Jun 1973 of melanoma. He was survived by his
parents and sister, and his wife and children. He has been and will continue to
be missed.
—His family and Company G-2 classmates
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