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99-year-old Jim Kunkle of Santa Ynez, CA appears on episode #751 of Hometown Heroes, airing September 17-22, 2022. A native of New Kensington, PA, Kunkle was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross while serving as a P-38 pilot with the 370th Bomb Group’s 401st Squadron, part of the 9th Air Force in World War II.

Kunkle will reach the century mark on October 16th, which happens to coincide with the Central Coast Air Fest in Santa Maria, CA, spearheaded by Jim’s grandson, Chris Kunkle. 250 guests are expected at a special birthday celebration during the airshow for the resilient pilot, who still clambers up and down the stairs in his Santa Ynez hangar with relative ease. The Central Coast AirFest has discounted tickets available for pre-purchase, and will feature historic World War II airplanes like the P-51 Mustang and the P-38 Lightning silhouetted in the AirFest’s logo, as well as the most up to date fighter aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II. You’ll also have the chance to see F-15 and F-18 demonstrations, as well as a performance by the Canadian Snowbirds. An even greater privilege is represented by the opportunity to wish a happy 100th birthday to a man who somehow survived seemingly overwhelming odds in the skies over Aachen, Germany on September 16th, 1944.

After you listen to this episode, please catch the rest of Jim Kunkle’s unique story on episode #752 of Hometown Heroes, detailing every element of his Distinguished Service Cross mission.