A New Port Richey man celebrated his 100th birthday this week.
With every breath, Julian Weglarz plays some of his best harmonica tones. But for the World War II veteran, mastering the harmonica is just one of his many talents.
“I went down to the recruiting office, I said I want to be a pilot and they said you can’t be a pilot," Weglarz said. "I said, 'why not?' You don’t have a college degree -- if you want we will give you an air plane to take care off.”
His first plane was this B-17 G Bomber.
“This plane here was designed to bomb Germany,” said Weglarz.
Despite never leaving U.S. soil, Julian played an important role in the war. As crew chief he was selected as one of the first 90 men to graduate from the newly formed U.S. Army Air Corps. He was one of the Air Force's original members when it first formed.
His main job was to train cadets how to fly his plane.
“I gave it the idea that there was life involved any time it was flying,” said Weglarz.
His love for planes continued to translate into his civilian life. He worked on jets at NASA as the supervisor of hanger aircraft instrumentation research.
“I feel that I accomplished what I was set out to do,” said Weglarz.
But turning 100 years old was another accomplishment he recently made that he likes to keep under wrap.
Years upon years of honorable accomplishments makes Julian’s son proud.
“He is very special,” said Julian Weglarz Jr.