All-stars of 100 years
THERE is something utterly profound about a three-star general who reaches 100 years of fighting the good fight on and off the battlefield. We claim that general as our very own. He is none other than Lt. Gen. John “Johnny” Gonge, scrappiest, flyingest hero in the U.S. Air Force, who has been a Vacaville resident since retiring in 1977, after 34 years and 13,000 flight hours. General officer stars represent leadership, demonstrations of valor, and a vote of Congress. Oct. 22, we attended Gonge’s 100-year celebration at Travis Federal Credit Union. He was its CEO after retiring. He greeted guests in military dress, three stars glittering.
In 2010, Gen. Gonge and I chatted in Pietro’s 1 about his Air Force career. He was a young 88 then. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, at age 19. His experiences were many, but one is especially worth retelling. As commander of 22nd Air Force at Travis, Gonge was charged with bringing U.S. prisoners home at the end of the Vietnam War. He mustered the finest C-141 crews as Hanoi set rules for release: The C-141s could not land until permitted by Viet controllers, and they had to land precisely on the hour. Gen. Gonge was overhead in a C-130 “talking bird,” control ship, waiting for clearances so he could relay them to crews. The first Starlifter was on final approach. Time was near, but no clearance. At nearly touchdown, the word came. “I told pilots, I don’t care how you do it, but land on the hour!” They did. The first of 600 prisoners came home.
At TCU, the silver-haired warrior’s life flashed on a wide screen. Clinking toasts sounded like bells of triumph. Gonge’s true birthday is Nov. 5, which he’ll spend with family. Perfect. At 100, you deserve all the parties you can get. THE same could be said for the 47 all-star centenarians honored Tuesday by Solano Supervisors. Over 15 years, 225 have been recognized. This one was virtual, but it couldn’t be more real. Two “100 Club” members–Hazel Booher, of Fairfield and Dorothy Pennecott, Vacaville—both 106—are Solano’s elders. It was a super-centenarian distinction held by Reta Wills, Vallejo, who passed away this year at age 110. If anyone knows the significance of the 100 Club, and what it took to get there, it’s newly-minted centenarian, Gen. John Gonge. Of the 47, 13 are Vacaville residents. Besides Dorothy Pennecot: Bruce Sooy, 104; Stan Emerson,102; Janet Wilhart, 100; Euratee Draper, 101; Elda Dehnbostel, 101; Dorelle Berg, 100; Xanthia Warren, 100; Anne Rigsby, 100; Theodore Mertz, 100; Leona Young, 100; Jack Weir, 100; as of Nov. 5. Fairfield leads with 28; Vallejo, 6 and Rio Vista, 1. If possible, Gen. Gonge could nominate all 47 for four stars. WHILE whining over paying $5.16 a gallon for 91 oct. gas, as compared to .27 cents I paid in 1950 at Beelard and Burton’s Main St. station, I got a harsh wake-up call. And so did we all. Came the news that Elon Musk ordered 100,000 Tesla electrics for his Hertz rental juggernaut. The story said it will generate $4.2 billion for Tesla, whose value soared above $1 trillion. Soon to come: thousands of charging stations. The story is, electrics are not the future, they are the present. WILDFIRES; a deadly plague; then the sky fell. And next? Clouds of locusts, inbound from Texas? We learned what it’s like to be up an atmospheric river with no paddle. Creeks are running, Lagoon geese are paddling, Berryessa level rose 2.7 ft. in one day. Peter Kilkus’ Lake Berryessa News posted 5 inches of rain Sunday, largest one-day rise since 2005. Lake level, 404 ft. It goes to Glory at 440.
Ethel Hoskins, steward of Pleasants Valley’s Joyful Ranch, called the storm “epic,” with a historical perspective. Her grandfather W. J. wrote in his journal of an 1880 storm. “On jury duty that day,” he wrote, “Everything about Fairfield was under water… Suisun nearly all under. Three Valley bridges washed away. We went to Putah Creek to find them.”