A World War II veteran will speak about his service at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, at Crowell Public Library on behalf of the San Marino Historical Society.
Veteran Jeff Arnett, 92, will talk about his service in Asia during the war, including a three-week flight from the U.S. to India, his service in Burma (now Myanmar) and China and crossing the infamous and dangerous “Hump,” a name given by Allied pilots to the eastern end of the Himalayan mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft to aid Chinese forces.
Arnett is retired from 50 years in the investment business, 50 years of private plane piloting and 15 years as a docent at the Palm Springs Air Museum. In recent years, he has returned to model railroading and a renewed focus on golf, where he has managed to “shoot his age” four of the past five years.
Arnett was born in Los Angeles and has resided in the Pasadena-San Marino area since 1930. He graduated from South Pasadena High School in 1943, just one day before entering the U.S. Army Air Corps.
After serving as a transport pilot in Burma and China for three years, Arnett returned from the service to graduate from USC. He last spoke to the San Marino Historical Society on the Pacific Electric Co. and his experience riding the Red Cars.
The San Marino Historical Society presents quarterly history talks focusing on topics specially selected for San Marino residents.
No reservations are required for the talk. For more information, call the San Marino Historical Society at (626) 304-9375 or email smhistorical@earthlink.net.
