John Hertz

John Louis Hertz, age 97 of Las Vegas, Nevada, died June 9, 2017. He was born June 22, 1919 in Lyndora Pennsylvania, the son of Austrian immigrants Joseph and Caroline "Lena" Hertz.

When John was ten years old, he moved with his family to Bronx, New York. While in New York he attended P.S. 27, Clark Junior High School, and graduated from Bronx Vocational High School in 1937.

At the age of 23, John enlisted in the US Army Air Force. Brothers Charlie and Rudy also enlisted in the US Army during World War II. Trained as a radio operator and mechanic, John was assigned to the Air Transport Command and was stationed at New Castle Army Air Base in Wilmington Delaware, and later at Berry Field in Nashville, Tennessee. During 1943 and 1944 he ferried A-30, A-34, B-17, B-24, B-25, and B-26 aircraft to bases in the United States as well as to U.S. and allied forces in England, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and India.

In October 1944, John was stationed in Misamari India with the China-Burma-India group and flew fuel supply missions onboard a C-46 over the "hump"" (the Himalayan Mountains) into China in support of the Flying Tigers. In September 1945 John was reassigned to Mohanbari India where he provided instrument training to pilots using Link trainers and flew search and rescue missions onboard unarmed B-25 and C-47 aircraft.

After the war, John returned to New York and attended the Academy of Aeronautics at La Guardia Airport and earned a Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Aircraft and Engine license. He was soon hired by Slick Airways at Idlewild International Airport. During his spare time, he earned a CAA Private Pilot license with a sea plane rating at the Newburg Flying School. In 1952 he transferred to Slick Airways in Burbank California.

On October 31, 1959 John married Viola Petrakis in Van Nuys California. John and Viola met years earlier while living in New York.

John worked for several companies in Southern California including Douglas Aircraft, Norman Larson Company, International Telephone and Telegraph, and Philco Aeronutronics. In 1968 he began a 16-year career with the Lockheed Corporation where he worked on the P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft in Burbank, the experimental AH-56 Cheyenne helicopter in Oxnard and Yuma Arizona, the L1011 TriStar airliner in Palmdale, and in Sunnyvale on the Polaris submarine launched ballistic missile and on gamma ray instruments. Retiring in June of 1984, he and his wife Viola moved to Las Vegas Nevada.

Hobbies included flying as a private pilot in his Cessna 140, weight lifting, boxing, Judo, Karate, scuba diving, music, dancing, and inventing. He played the guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and keyboard. He enjoyed telling jokes, had an interest in holistic health, and was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, the B.P.O Elks, the German-American Social Club of Nevada, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife; four brothers, Frank, Joseph "Jimmy", Charles, and Rudolph Hertz; and three sisters, Caroline "Lena" Hoffman, Anna "Betty" Bittrolff, and Josephine Arrigale. Uncle Johnny was a fun-loving uncle adored by his many nieces and nephews.

Visitation and prayer service will be held on Sunday June 25, 2017 at Davis Funeral Home, Rainbow Chapel located at 1401 S. Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas NV 89146. Funeral Service will be on Monday June 26, 2017 at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery located at 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive Boulder City NV 89005 at 1:20 PM. Father Tom Montelaro will be officiating both the prayer services and the funeral service.

Visitation

Visitaiton

Davis Funeral Home Rainbow Chapel
1401 S. Rainbow Blvd
Las Vegas, NV  89146
Sunday, June 25, 2017
3:00 to 7:00 PM

Service

Funeral Services

Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery
1900 Veterans Memoral Drive
Boulder City, NV  89005
Monday, June 26, 2017
1:20 PM

Prayer Service

Davis Funeral Home Rainbow Chapel
1401 S. Rainbow Blvd
Las Vegas, NV  89146
Sunday, June 25, 2017
4:00 PM

Cemetery

Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery
1900 Veteran's Memorial Drive
Boulder City, NV  89005