James Kunkle Sr. is a Santa Ynez Valley veteran and a pilot. His love for the job and dedication made him a notable figure in history. He flew during World War II when there weren’t any ejection seats. Kunkle was piloting a combat plane and was hit by an enemy plane. He bravely climbed out his plane and jumped before opening his parachute. Kunkle explained that young pilots don’t know how to get out of planes.
Noozhawk reports that Kunkle was the grand marshal at the Fourth of July Parade 2017. Kunkle believes that being around planes and pilots has shaped his entire life. Kunkle has wanted to become a fighter pilot for over 90 years. As a child, planes were amazing to me. As a child, I was awed by the stories of Charles Lindberg’s crossing the Atlantic Ocean in his rickety plane. Kunkle explained that flying was a new concept back then and people dressed up to fly. Kunkle, a Beverly Hills High School junior, was involved in World War II. “I knew we’d be involved, so I thought it was important to get some flying experience. Kunkle stated that he joined the National Guard to work at the airport. Kunkle was hired by North American Aviation to build planes in April 1941. Finally, Kunkle went to Lockheed. There he worked as an inspector. Most of his time was spent flying.
The U.S. government reduced the requirements for enlistment to 18 and 21 after Pearl Harbor. This was because more people wanted to sign up. Kunkle was very excited to see that he could finally become a fighter-pilot. “I achieved my dream of becoming fighter pilot when I was sent from London. Kunkle expressed respect for his fellow South African aviators, as well as those from Canada and England. His mission was to defend the troops and to attack moving objects in order to endanger their supplies. Two enemy aircraft were hit before Kunkle was injured by the enemy. Kunkle was wounded in combat and taken to Portland for treatment. From there, he was ready to fly to Portland to help test new flight equipment. “After the war, I spent more of my time in the military flying some first jets. I wanted the opportunity to stay active duty. Kunkle stated that it was an amazing experience to fly the P-84 Thunder Jet. Kunkle also said that he returned to his family’s business selling shelf paper.
Kunkle and Ruth met while working and became a couple. “We fly together because we love it. This airport has become our second home. Ruth stated that flying at the best airport is a great way to spend your retirement.
Kunkle is inspiring me because he has done so much and made his goal a reality. Aviation is the perfect match for me because I prefer hands-on work to sitting at a desk all day.
Author
