John discussed his passion for aviation, his journey before retirement, and his experiences at Hale O Meleana.
What was your first job?
I worked for a short time at the shipyard. The shipyard was busy because we were building ships for the war. On December 8, 1941, I enlisted in the military because I wanted to protect our country, protect our freedom. Our freedom was at stake.
People knew about the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), before the CIA was The Office of Strategic Services (OSS). I flew for the OSS as a bomber flight engineer—I flew combat missions and covert missions.
What did you do after your service?
In 1972, I moved to Hawai’i with my wife Barbara. We lived near Waikiki, not in Waikiki, but near the Ala Wai.
What was your journey before retirement in Hawaiʻi?
I came to work for a mechanical contractor because I can design mechanical air-conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems—I worked for them for about a year.
You might have noticed that I’m a “haole.” And this is significant, three local good guys came to see me, and said, "We’d like you to start a company for us.” And I said what kind of company. They said “Well, we think there’s a big business in bath accessories.” We would do water closets, lavatories, bathtubs, showers, a big assortment of things. I said, okay. They gave me what I needed, including a car to start the business. I took the chance—it was a great offer—I did that for four years with Barbara.
How was your trip in Normandy, France for the 80th D-Day Commemoration?
I’d like to talk about the lead-in of that trip. I was the first director appointed for the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. This lady came to see me and said to me, “I'd like you to go to Paris.” And I said, “Why, I’ve been there.” She said, “Well, we’re going to have a big program in Paris.” I took my oldest daughter with me, and I finally agreed to go.
It brought back some good memories. We were there eleven days, and we went to all the D-Day sites. It was very sobering. The graveyard for the American section of the attack had over nine thousand white crosses. A lot of men my age lost their lives there. The French were unbelievably thankful to those of us who flew combat.
There’s one word for that trip, “fantastic.” It couldn’t have been better, couldn’t have scheduled it better, couldn’t have provided better transportation. We flew in a boeing 787, which was brand new. I flew first class, and they opened a seat for me to sleep. Just a wonderful experience, having to see so much appreciation. People would run across the street to shake my hand because they knew I was a combat veteran.
Why do you recommend Hale O Meleana?
Several months ago, a friend of mine, an M.D, was having similar troubles as I have. Some of his friends that were also M.D.s decided to check this place out, Hale O Meleana, and then go to check some of the other facilities. They were totally in favor of this facility.
I’ve been here for over three years, and I recommended Hale O Meleana because I’ve seen the other facilities, and this was superior.
When I came here, all these lovely women in the hallways that take care of us all had different names. I can’t learn all these names, so I’m going to call them Sunshine. Then, I became “Mr. Sunshine.”
What do you do in your spare time?
One thing is I go out constantly to the aviation museum. I was the first director appointed when they started the aviation museum. The Navy had done a fantastic job turning it into an aviation museum. I give talks out at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Musuem at Ford Island. I talk about flying combat, being shot at, I talk about secret missions I flew on as a civilian.
What was the most significant thing that happened in your lifetime?
Meeting my wife because I almost didn’t get to meet her. My friend called me up said, “John how do you like about going on a blind date tonight?” I didn’t need a blind date. I was doing pretty good. And, I said no, I don’t think I’ll go. He said, “come on and go. My girlfriend is coming, and I’ve got my car, and it’s got a rumble seat.
We drove up to a beach party in Long Beach, California. The beach was gorgeous. There were no buildings or high rises, no McDonalds, nothing but beach. I walked up and I saw this [paused smiling] “stunning” girl standing there. And I thought that couldn’t be my date. She wouldn't need a blind. But it was. And I was told that, “this is your blind date.” And we were married for 74 years. 74 years—wonderful marriage, happy marriage, great home—three girls — we had a happy home—I would do it all over again, starting today. If you could arrange that, I’ll hang around.
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