Dec. 31, 2023 marked a special, once-in-a-lifetime milestone for San Carlos resident Gene Elmore.

The former Navy pilot and longtime member of the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club turned 100 years old on New Year’s Eve.

Owen Eugene Elmore (or just “Gene” for short) was born in Danville, Indiana on Dec. 31, 1923 – the last baby born in Danville that year.

At the age of 18, less than a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gene entered flight school with the U.S. Navy and received his wings in Corpus Christi, Texas. He flew a B-24 (four engine aircraft) in both the Pacific and European theaters during World War II. He would fly more than 160 missions as a pilot for the Navy, including six different flights over Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944: three at Utah Beach and three at Omaha Beach. After the war, Gene also participated in the Berlin Airlift of 1948 (a humanitarian effort to provide food and supplies to civilians living behind the Iron Curtain), and the Korean War.

The Navy brought him to San Diego, where he and his wife of 56 years, Wanda, opened a business building and selling security cameras for residential and commercial use. Gene also established his own publishing company, writing three novels.

While trying to promote his security camera business, Gene was invited to speak as a guest of the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club in March of 1969, and was invited to join the organization as a member shortly thereafter. He quickly became one of the club’s most dedicated, active, and respected leaders, as he developed a passion for volunteer work and philanthropy within the club.

His accolades in Kiwanis – serving as Club President in 1974-75, Division 21 Lt. Governor in 1985-86, and earning the coveted Kiwanian of the Year Award in 1982-83 – only scratch the surface of his remarkable influence on those around him. Gene has been the driving force behind many of our club’s projects over the years, perhaps most notably the Allied Gardens SpringFest and Parade from 2000 to 2013.

After more than 54 years as a Kiwanian, Gene has done it all, earning his status through the decades as one of the club’s most dedicated and respected leaders, and representing the Grantville-Allied Gardens club at numerous Kiwanis International conventions. Since 1979, the Kiwanis Clubs of Division 21 (Metro San Diego) have presented the Gene Elmore trophy to its top performing clubs year after year.

Gene is the first active member of the G.A.G. Kiwanis Club to reach the century mark — and he’s still driving himself to club meetings every Thursday, proving that age is really just a number.

As a Navy veteran, a war hero, a business owner, an author, a publisher, and an adventurer, Gene has led the quintessential American life. Whether retracing the steps of Lewis and Clark along the Columbia River in Oregon, “roughing it” in the depths of Death Valley National Park, or relaxing at their vacation home in Palm Springs, Gene and Wanda Elmore are never too busy to give back to their community.

We congratulate our phenomenal leader and inspiration, a living piece of American history, and a true treasure of our local community. Congratulations, and Happy 100th Birthday, Gene.

The Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club meets every Thursday, 5:30 p.m., at Palisades Presbyterian Church, 6301 Birchwood Street. Meetings are always open to the public, and we always welcome local residents (like Gene) who want to give back to their community.

For information, visit: alliedgardenskiwanis.org.

Editor’s note: This article was written by John Crawford, Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club.