Ace pilot, father, ex-mayor and legislator Kenneth A. Jernstedt dies at 95
By Mike Francis, The Oregonian
on February 05, 2013 at 8:40 PM
Kenneth A. Jernstedt with a P-40 Flying Tiger that bears his name at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
Patricial Cordell / The Oregonian 1998 Ken Jernstedt, famed World War II aviator, two-time mayor of Hood River, longtime Oregon legislator and successful businessman, died Tuesday morning at the age of 95.
"He was really, genuinely a fine human being," said former Gov. Vic Atiyeh, a longtime friend. "He was the perfect guy for his district. Actually, for Oregon."
Ken Jernstedt Airfield in Hood River is named for him, as is the main gate at the Portland Air National Guard Base. A replica P-40, the Flying Tiger, with his name on it is on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
His fame as an aviator came from his time flying for the Chinese government before the United States entered World War II. He resigned his commission in the Marines in order to join the American Volunteer Group, which fought for Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the Japanese. He was a flight leader for the famed Flying Tigers and is credited with destroying 10.5 Japanese aircraft -- three in the air and 7.5 on the ground. The Chinese government paid him $500 a plane.
Only decades later did the U.S. government acknowledge that it helped organize the squadron on behalf of the Chinese. In 1996, Jernstedt was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Courtesy of the Oregon Dept. of Veterans Affairs "We knew of Japanese atrocities and had great empathy for China," Jernstedt told The Oregonian in 1995. "We were young, well-trained and hungry for adventure. I went with two buddies, and we kind of talked each other into it."
For all his wartime exploits, people who knew Jernstedt say he wasn't one to boast.
"I didn't even know he was in the Flying Tigers until I was in my 30s," said Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs public affairs officer Mike Allegre, who knew him as a child in Hood River, where he went to school with Jernstedt's children. Allegre has written an account of Jernstedt's career for the state-published book "150 Years of Oregon Veterans."
After the war, Jernstedt owned and operated the Coca-Cola plant in Hood River. He was elected to the Oregon House in 1966, then served five terms in the state Senate.
Yet, said his son, Ken E. Jernstedt of Lake Oswego, "he was always a father first."
"My favorite life lesson from my dad was that he could never understand prejudice or intolerance," said the younger Jernstedt. "He'd say 'There wasn't one person who has ever walked on this earth who had a single thing to do with the fact they were here. Nobody chooses his parents.'"
Even people who disagreed with his politics, said Ken E. Jernstedt, "always appreciated that they got a fair hearing from him."
Later in life, Jernstedt lived in a senior facility in Wilsonville. His vision had deteriorated and his seeing-eye dog and constant companion, his yellow Lab Driscoll, died seven years ago.
Yet "he remained a thoughtful citizen of the world" to the end, his son said.
Kenneth A. Jernstedt and his wife Gen had seven children, 22 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, said his daughter, Greta Sheppard of West Linn.
"It's an honor to be his child," she said. "He was a man of service, to his family, friends, community, state and country."
Sheppard said the family plans a memorial service for Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at Hood River Valley Christian Church. Disposition was by cremation.
Additional information provided by Tripp Alyn: After the war, Ken was a test pilot for Republic Aircraft on Long Island, NY and flew the P-47 along with two other fellow flying tigers.
By Mike Francis, The Oregonian
on February 05, 2013 at 8:40 PM
Kenneth A. Jernstedt with a P-40 Flying Tiger that bears his name at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
Patricial Cordell / The Oregonian 1998 Ken Jernstedt, famed World War II aviator, two-time mayor of Hood River, longtime Oregon legislator and successful businessman, died Tuesday morning at the age of 95.
"He was really, genuinely a fine human being," said former Gov. Vic Atiyeh, a longtime friend. "He was the perfect guy for his district. Actually, for Oregon."
Ken Jernstedt Airfield in Hood River is named for him, as is the main gate at the Portland Air National Guard Base. A replica P-40, the Flying Tiger, with his name on it is on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
His fame as an aviator came from his time flying for the Chinese government before the United States entered World War II. He resigned his commission in the Marines in order to join the American Volunteer Group, which fought for Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the Japanese. He was a flight leader for the famed Flying Tigers and is credited with destroying 10.5 Japanese aircraft -- three in the air and 7.5 on the ground. The Chinese government paid him $500 a plane.
Only decades later did the U.S. government acknowledge that it helped organize the squadron on behalf of the Chinese. In 1996, Jernstedt was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Courtesy of the Oregon Dept. of Veterans Affairs "We knew of Japanese atrocities and had great empathy for China," Jernstedt told The Oregonian in 1995. "We were young, well-trained and hungry for adventure. I went with two buddies, and we kind of talked each other into it."
For all his wartime exploits, people who knew Jernstedt say he wasn't one to boast.
"I didn't even know he was in the Flying Tigers until I was in my 30s," said Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs public affairs officer Mike Allegre, who knew him as a child in Hood River, where he went to school with Jernstedt's children. Allegre has written an account of Jernstedt's career for the state-published book "150 Years of Oregon Veterans."
After the war, Jernstedt owned and operated the Coca-Cola plant in Hood River. He was elected to the Oregon House in 1966, then served five terms in the state Senate.
Yet, said his son, Ken E. Jernstedt of Lake Oswego, "he was always a father first."
"My favorite life lesson from my dad was that he could never understand prejudice or intolerance," said the younger Jernstedt. "He'd say 'There wasn't one person who has ever walked on this earth who had a single thing to do with the fact they were here. Nobody chooses his parents.'"
Even people who disagreed with his politics, said Ken E. Jernstedt, "always appreciated that they got a fair hearing from him."
Later in life, Jernstedt lived in a senior facility in Wilsonville. His vision had deteriorated and his seeing-eye dog and constant companion, his yellow Lab Driscoll, died seven years ago.
Yet "he remained a thoughtful citizen of the world" to the end, his son said.
Kenneth A. Jernstedt and his wife Gen had seven children, 22 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, said his daughter, Greta Sheppard of West Linn.
"It's an honor to be his child," she said. "He was a man of service, to his family, friends, community, state and country."
Sheppard said the family plans a memorial service for Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at Hood River Valley Christian Church. Disposition was by cremation.
Additional information provided by Tripp Alyn: After the war, Ken was a test pilot for Republic Aircraft on Long Island, NY and flew the P-47 along with two other fellow flying tigers.
Ace pilot, father, ex-mayor and legislator Kenneth A. Jernstedt dies at 95
By Mike Francis, The Oregonian
on February 05, 2013 at 8:40 PM
Kenneth A. Jernstedt with a P-40 Flying Tiger that bears his name at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
Patricial Cordell / The Oregonian 1998 Ken Jernstedt, famed World War II aviator, two-time mayor of Hood River, longtime Oregon legislator and successful businessman, died Tuesday morning at the age of 95.
"He was really, genuinely a fine human being," said former Gov. Vic Atiyeh, a longtime friend. "He was the perfect guy for his district. Actually, for Oregon."
Ken Jernstedt Airfield in Hood River is named for him, as is the main gate at the Portland Air National Guard Base. A replica P-40, the Flying Tiger, with his name on it is on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
His fame as an aviator came from his time flying for the Chinese government before the United States entered World War II. He resigned his commission in the Marines in order to join the American Volunteer Group, which fought for Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the Japanese. He was a flight leader for the famed Flying Tigers and is credited with destroying 10.5 Japanese aircraft -- three in the air and 7.5 on the ground. The Chinese government paid him $500 a plane.
Only decades later did the U.S. government acknowledge that it helped organize the squadron on behalf of the Chinese. In 1996, Jernstedt was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Courtesy of the Oregon Dept. of Veterans Affairs "We knew of Japanese atrocities and had great empathy for China," Jernstedt told The Oregonian in 1995. "We were young, well-trained and hungry for adventure. I went with two buddies, and we kind of talked each other into it."
For all his wartime exploits, people who knew Jernstedt say he wasn't one to boast.
"I didn't even know he was in the Flying Tigers until I was in my 30s," said Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs public affairs officer Mike Allegre, who knew him as a child in Hood River, where he went to school with Jernstedt's children. Allegre has written an account of Jernstedt's career for the state-published book "150 Years of Oregon Veterans."
After the war, Jernstedt owned and operated the Coca-Cola plant in Hood River. He was elected to the Oregon House in 1966, then served five terms in the state Senate.
Yet, said his son, Ken E. Jernstedt of Lake Oswego, "he was always a father first."
"My favorite life lesson from my dad was that he could never understand prejudice or intolerance," said the younger Jernstedt. "He'd say 'There wasn't one person who has ever walked on this earth who had a single thing to do with the fact they were here. Nobody chooses his parents.'"
Even people who disagreed with his politics, said Ken E. Jernstedt, "always appreciated that they got a fair hearing from him."
Later in life, Jernstedt lived in a senior facility in Wilsonville. His vision had deteriorated and his seeing-eye dog and constant companion, his yellow Lab Driscoll, died seven years ago.
Yet "he remained a thoughtful citizen of the world" to the end, his son said.
Kenneth A. Jernstedt and his wife Gen had seven children, 22 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, said his daughter, Greta Sheppard of West Linn.
"It's an honor to be his child," she said. "He was a man of service, to his family, friends, community, state and country."
Sheppard said the family plans a memorial service for Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at Hood River Valley Christian Church. Disposition was by cremation.
Additional information provided by Tripp Alyn: After the war, Ken was a test pilot for Republic Aircraft on Long Island, NY and flew the P-47 along with two other fellow flying tigers.
By Mike Francis, The Oregonian
on February 05, 2013 at 8:40 PM
Kenneth A. Jernstedt with a P-40 Flying Tiger that bears his name at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
Patricial Cordell / The Oregonian 1998 Ken Jernstedt, famed World War II aviator, two-time mayor of Hood River, longtime Oregon legislator and successful businessman, died Tuesday morning at the age of 95.
"He was really, genuinely a fine human being," said former Gov. Vic Atiyeh, a longtime friend. "He was the perfect guy for his district. Actually, for Oregon."
Ken Jernstedt Airfield in Hood River is named for him, as is the main gate at the Portland Air National Guard Base. A replica P-40, the Flying Tiger, with his name on it is on display at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
His fame as an aviator came from his time flying for the Chinese government before the United States entered World War II. He resigned his commission in the Marines in order to join the American Volunteer Group, which fought for Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the Japanese. He was a flight leader for the famed Flying Tigers and is credited with destroying 10.5 Japanese aircraft -- three in the air and 7.5 on the ground. The Chinese government paid him $500 a plane.
Only decades later did the U.S. government acknowledge that it helped organize the squadron on behalf of the Chinese. In 1996, Jernstedt was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Courtesy of the Oregon Dept. of Veterans Affairs "We knew of Japanese atrocities and had great empathy for China," Jernstedt told The Oregonian in 1995. "We were young, well-trained and hungry for adventure. I went with two buddies, and we kind of talked each other into it."
For all his wartime exploits, people who knew Jernstedt say he wasn't one to boast.
"I didn't even know he was in the Flying Tigers until I was in my 30s," said Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs public affairs officer Mike Allegre, who knew him as a child in Hood River, where he went to school with Jernstedt's children. Allegre has written an account of Jernstedt's career for the state-published book "150 Years of Oregon Veterans."
After the war, Jernstedt owned and operated the Coca-Cola plant in Hood River. He was elected to the Oregon House in 1966, then served five terms in the state Senate.
Yet, said his son, Ken E. Jernstedt of Lake Oswego, "he was always a father first."
"My favorite life lesson from my dad was that he could never understand prejudice or intolerance," said the younger Jernstedt. "He'd say 'There wasn't one person who has ever walked on this earth who had a single thing to do with the fact they were here. Nobody chooses his parents.'"
Even people who disagreed with his politics, said Ken E. Jernstedt, "always appreciated that they got a fair hearing from him."
Later in life, Jernstedt lived in a senior facility in Wilsonville. His vision had deteriorated and his seeing-eye dog and constant companion, his yellow Lab Driscoll, died seven years ago.
Yet "he remained a thoughtful citizen of the world" to the end, his son said.
Kenneth A. Jernstedt and his wife Gen had seven children, 22 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, said his daughter, Greta Sheppard of West Linn.
"It's an honor to be his child," she said. "He was a man of service, to his family, friends, community, state and country."
Sheppard said the family plans a memorial service for Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at Hood River Valley Christian Church. Disposition was by cremation.
Additional information provided by Tripp Alyn: After the war, Ken was a test pilot for Republic Aircraft on Long Island, NY and flew the P-47 along with two other fellow flying tigers.
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