Justin Kawaler - Army Air Corps 1942-45

Justin Kawaler was born in Brooklyn, NY on November 1, 1921 and definitely makes 103 years look good. Justin was at the movies with his girlfriend when the announcement came that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor. So he said to his girlfriend, "I've got to get into this, and I'm going to fly." Unfortunately Justin was to young to join the Army Air Corps so he decided to join the Army hoping to eventually transfer to the Air Corps. Justin started his Army career as a radio operator with the Combat Engineers and eventually did transfer to the Army Air Corps becoming duel rated as a Flight Engineer and Pilot. Justin spent moist of the war years flying navigation trainees in a training command. One day Uncle Sam sent him to Birmingham, Alabama and eventually to Tampa Bay, FL to train with a B-29 crew as the third pilot.

"It was my honor to serve my country. But it wasn't just me, I would say my whole generation, the spirit in those days, the spirit in the barracks, the spirit. Nobody ever complained. It was just a wonderful, wonderful thing the way the whole country came together."