Bob Hasewinkle, a 101-year-old World War II veteran from Fairhope, took to the skies Saturday as part of the annual veterans flight held during the Pensacola Blue Angels air show.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hasewinkle served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946 and fought on the front lines during the Battle of Okinawa. He was injured by mortar shrapnel during the battle before being rescued and sent into surgery. Hasewinkle said he believes there is a 99.9% chance the medic who rescued him was Desmond Doss, the celebrated combat medic who refused to carry a weapon because of his personal beliefs and later received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Hasewinkle, who lives in Fairhope with his wife, Jeanne, holds a private pilot’s license but said he hadn’t flown in a plane like Saturday’s in more than 60 years. He called the experience a lot of fun.
“I wasn’t afraid or anything,” Hasewinkle said after his flight. “I used to watch all the gauges. Well, I watched all the gauges, made sure everything was operating right, and the view was spectacular of course. All over the Pensacola area plus the beach. It was just a fun thing.”
Hasewinkle flew in a Stearman Model 75, also known as a Boeing Stearman, a biplane produced during the 1930s and 1940s that saw widespread use throughout World War II. The particular aircraft he flew in worked as a crop duster in California for about 25 years after the war before joining the Pensacola Air Show.
The Pensacola Veterans Flight takes place during the Blue Angels’ air show to give veterans a chance to fly again in a historic aircraft, with each plane lifting off from the Pensacola Aviation Center and flying to Pensacola Beach before returning. Roy Kinsey, founder and president of Veterans Flight Inc., the nonprofit that runs the event, said the organization has now helped 14 veterans aged 100 or older take flight. Among them was Royce Williams, a retired U.S. Navy aviator who received the Congressional Medal of Honor during the State of the Union address in February.
“What we’re trying to do is, in addition to thanking the veterans that made it possible for us to live in the great country, educate our fellow citizens of what the military veterans have done to make it possible for us to enjoy being American citizens,” Kinsey said.
According to Kinsey, the Fairhope Yacht Club helped arrange hotel accommodations the night before Hasewinkle’s flight so he and his wife could get an early start the next morning.
Asked if he would do it again, Hasewinkle said it depends on how he feels the next time around. “My basic health is good, but you never know… but right now, I’d say yes,” he said.