John Eads of Kokomo Indiana lived a 102 years despite crewing a bomber as a gunner on 50 missions in WW2
He was born in 1923, in Kokomo, and Married Thelma in 1952
John enlisted in the Army Air Corp on December 5, 1942, at the age of 19 with plans to be a mechanic. But after his enlistment, he was sent to a gunnery school and was assigned as a waist gunner with the 97th Bomber Group, 342nd Squadron of the 15th Air Force in Italy.
He was honorably discharged on March 26, 1945, earning the rank of TSgt.
He was an Army specialty Airplane Mechanic Gunner and during battles, engagements, skirmishes and expeditions, flew in 50 heavy bombardment missions over enemy occupied territory from 1943-1944.
After WW2 he bought a Cushman dealership and also sold Whizzers, it was open until 1958 and worked for Martin Wrecker Service in their office and was very involved at Bunker Hill Dragstrip
After WW2 he bought a Cushman dealership and also sold Whizzers, it was open until 1958 and worked for Martin Wrecker Service in their office and was very involved at Bunker Hill Dragstrip
His Cushman used an old lawn mower handle for steering, a hand ground cam, and a hot water bottle filled with alcohol that he used as a seat for a fuel pump and supply. It weight 136 pounds.
He was a member of Greentown Road Kings Car Club, Kokomo VFW and the Cushman Club
He set the track record in 1958 at 89.4 mph 14.46 seconds in the quarter mile at Bunkerhill Drag Strip.
in this video he went down the strip on an exhibition pass at age 90, in 2013
Yes, I've got 65,000 posts and have forgotten most of them, and if this one is something you've never read before, you oughta consider looking through the last 19.5 years of archives.
