Pell still recalls every intricacy of operating the planes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were two inflatable tires on it. They put them on when the planes came to the ramp for takeoff\u2026 you had to fasten a clamp on top of them\u2026 and you had to weigh enough to shove it down in the water. I was too light,\u201d he said. \u201cThe mate had to shove it down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as vivid to Pell is his survival of a seaplane crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were coming in from the Galapagos Islands up to the canal zone when we started going down and crashed in the water. The engines had water in \u2018em, that\u2019s what they theorized,\u201d Pell explained. \u201cWe hit the water, and the plane bounced a couple times. My job then was to open the hatch on the top of the plane and put the life rafts out on the wings. But we didn\u2019t need them, the plane floated! They had an instrument to crank that would send a signal out to other ships and aircraft. But the receiver was dead on the plane\u2026 we had no power, so we didn\u2019t know if anybody was picking up our signal.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the day wore on, the sun went down and, in the water, Pell and his crew observed a frightening sight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could see sharks. I was scared\u2026 about as white as that paper,\u201d he said, motioning to a notebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, 11 hours after the crash, through the darkness came hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw a search light coming\u2026 it was a destroyer coming out of the canal zone. They were looking for us. They received our signal and knew our position. Our pilot\u2014he was a lieutenant, Smolsnick was his name\u2014he got the signal out,\u201d Pell recalled.<\/p>\n
Life after the Navy<\/h2>\n
In March 1946, Aviation Machinist Third Class Pell returned to the United States, reporting to Norman, Oklahoma, for refresher school. That was the last time he\u2019d see his air crew wings badge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI gave them to a girl I was sitting beside in study hall,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
But there was only one true woman meant for Pell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After refresher school, he returned home to West Virginia, where he met Patricia Ann Patrick.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to walk past her house every day for work,\u201d he said with a smile. The rest, as they say, is history.<\/p>\n
They married and had two sons and two daughters and eventually settled in Waynesboro, Virginia. Pell worked in various positions until his retirement at the age of 70. He used his military experience to receive an instrument certification to work in a nuclear powerplant and other energy sector jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pell\u2019s Secret to Longevity<\/h2>\n
When asked what his secret elixir is to reach the 100-year milestone, Pell\u2019s answer was simple: \u201ca good marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pell and Patricia Ann, or \u201cPatty Ann\u201d as some called her, were married for 64 years. She died nine years ago, but there\u2019s not a day that goes by that Pell doesn\u2019t fondly reflect on the love of his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t have found a better mate. She kept me straight, she was a good woman\u2014that\u2019s all there was to it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Advice for Future Generations<\/h2>\n
When reflecting back over his last 100 years of life, Pell offered some basic advice to those who will live over the next 100 years: \u201cI would tell them, even if they\u2019re going into the service, get all the schooling they can.\u201d<\/p>\n
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