Pekin man, World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday
In his 100 years, John Avery has raised horses, run his own wood-working shop, traveled to India and China, served with the famed Flying Tigers during World War II, and was bitten in by (fortunately non-venomous) Asian snakes on two separate occasions.
“He’s been a jack-of-all-trades,” said Avery’s daughter, Sharon Danner of Pekin. “He was good at fixing everything. He farmed. He was a sheet metal worker for his whole life.”
Avery joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and served with the First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force as an aircraft sheet metal worker.
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The AVG was nicknamed The Flying Tigers, and their exploits would be celebrated in a 1942 John Wayne film of the same name. His more harrowing experience as a Flying Tiger was probably a mission into enemy-held territory to help repair a downed aircraft.
“The Japanese had complete control of the area and they shot down one of our planes,” he said. “They landed in a rice paddy. I went with a crew and we took a propeller because we knew we needed one. We really needed two props, because both props were shot.”
With Japanese troops advancing on their position, Avery and his companions were forced to set fire to the downed plane and evacuate its crew.
Avery retains fond memories of his service and his travels in Asia. He has told family and friends over the years that China was his favorite tour by far, and his family kept that in mind when planning the bill of fare for his 100th birthday party at Liberty Village – Pekin Manor Saturday when they ordered Chinese take-out from Ming’s of Pekin.
“When I was in China, I liked the people so well,” Avery said. “They were just really good people to be around. With the food there, you kind of had to pick and choose, and a lot of people didn’t eat it.”
Avery himself developed a fondness for Chinese cuisine, particularly white rice and egg foo young.
But one of his favorite travel stories had its origins not in China, but in India, where he adopted a pet monkey, named him Elmer, and tried to bring him back to the United States.
“He used to get on my shoulder, wrap his tail around, and then he would reach in my pocket and get a stick of gum,” Avery recalled. “I was going to bring him home with me, and I got him on the first plane. But he got sick, so I told the pilots he was going to have to go back. They took him and after that, I heard that he made out all right.”
This article originally appeared on Pekin Daily Times: Pekin man John Avery celebrates 100th birthday
