COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – A Columbia World War II veteran is celebrating his 100th birthday.
Maynard Cusworth’s Air Force career spanned three decades, and he spent more than 40 years as a mercy volunteer pilot.
Now, Maynard suffers from advanced dementia, but his family says he always wanted to be 100 years old.
“He started to repeat that when he reached the 90s, or the end of the 80s, and it became something of a broken record,” said Maynard’s son Robert Cusworth.
His father’s aviation career began in the early 1940s, training as a bomber pilot during the end of World War II.
“He had to choose between a fighter or a bomber pilot and he thought his chances of survival were better as a bomber pilot,” laughed Cusworth.
Maynard never saw combat in World War II or the Korean War, but during Vietnam, he transported war supplies in and out of Vietnamese airstrips.
In 1972, after serving at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, Maynard retired, but that failed to keep him out of an airplane.
“I liked him, he liked me and I liked his experience,” said veteran driver Jim Hamilton. “He wanted to share his experience with the airmen. So, we were a perfect match. “
Hamilton hired him to train young drivers. Throughout his 20 years as a flight instructor, he has taught hundreds of students, including Emerson Smith.
“He made flying and learning to fly a lot of fun,” explained Smith. “He could fly almost any plane.”
According to the FAA, 100% of students passed aviation exams.
“He was a safe driver and would make you a safe driver,” said Smith.
While Maynard was teaching flying lessons, he also started voluntary charter work, flying over the national forest in South Carolina after Hurricane Hugo devastated much of the area.
But the most rewarding part of his career came in the early 1970s, when he helped organize Jamil Flying Fezzes, a charity group that transports children to Shriners hospitals for treatment.
“Maynard is particularly humanitarian,” said Hamilton. “He loved children and wants to help and he has a talent for it. It is a unique way of helping people, and that is your heart. “
He even bought a plane for the trips, as he told the South Carolina Aviation Association during an interview in 2014.
“I decided to accept and made an offer that they couldn’t refuse,” Maynard told SCAA. “So I said that we can continue with the mission.”
In 1992, his hard work was recognized when he was inducted into the South Carolina Aviation Association Hall of Fame.
“In my opinion, Maynard is the best you can get,” explained Hamilton.
He continued flying until he turned 89 in 2011. Although this beloved pilot cannot spend his 100th birthday on a plane, his family says he will remind him of his century of achievements in the air and on the ground.
Maynard’s family held a Zoom celebration for him on Monday afternoon, and members of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia held a drive-through parade at NHC Healthcare to celebrate their big day.
Now that he’s reached 100, Maynard’s family says he’s aiming for 104.
Copyright 2021 WIS. All rights reserved.