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Temple City honors World War II veteran Larry Stevens on his 100th birthday
Summary
Temple City presented a certificate and photos to Larry Stevens in recognition of his 100th birthday and his WWII service as a B‑17 tail gunner; Stevens recounted a near‑miss mission and thanked the community for the honor.
Temple City presented a certificate of recognition to Larry Stevens on Aug. 6, honoring his 100th birthday and his service as a tail gunner on a B‑17 during World War II. Mayor Chavez and council members joined the presentation as Stevens sat with family and city leaders in the front row.
The council recounted Stevens’s military record, noting he flew 35 missions with the Eighth Air Force and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. At the podium Stevens described one mission in which anti‑aircraft fire ("flak") raked the aircraft and, in his words, the plane narrowly escaped: "we slid underneath the whole group ... it sounded like gravel hitting the bottom of the airplane." He said he felt grateful to have survived and to be able to attend the meeting.
The mayor praised Stevens’s combined public‑service record as a veteran and longtime local fire captain and invited council members and attendees to join in photographs. The council’s recognition included brief remarks from Jerry Jambazian, who introduced Stevens and led the invocation earlier in the meeting.
The presentation was ceremonial; no council action was required. The meeting continued with additional recognitions and business after the tribute.
