World War II veteran, former POW and civic leader, Jack Schwartz, dies at 103

Burial will be at 1:30 P.M. Nov. 30, at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, 32053 W. McCabe Road, Santa Nella. A Celebration of Life Service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Dec. 1 at the Woods Family Barn, 2557 E. Conejo Ave., Selma.

Aside from living for 103 years and remaining quite active until the final days, Schwartz served a long and distinguished career as a naval officer, city engineer, and public works director. A World War II veteran, the dedicated Hanford resident spent nearly four years as a prisoner of the Japanese following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

In April, The Leader had the unique opportunity to visit with Mr. Schwartz on the occasion of his 103rd birthday. In honor of Mr. Schwartz, we have decided to republish the original article.

Friends and family surround the distinguished-looking senior citizen at The Remington, a posh senior citizens retirement home on the outskirts of Hanford. They’re celebrating his birthday in grand style. There are balloons and tables layered with food, deviled eggs, shrimp, and of course an impressive birthday cake sets in the center of the large table of treats.

The gentleman is over a century old, and he's lived at The Remington for about four years.

They are there on a Saturday afternoon in Hanford to honor a true pioneer of Hanford – while not in the typical sense as having been born in Kings County because at 103 years old, Jack Schwartz has lived here most of his life. And more importantly, he has been an essential part of the city's growth and prosperity.

There were visitors; a longtime judge came to honor Schwartz and say hello. There fellow World War II veterans, friends, and of course family members. Even Kings County Supervisor Joe Neves stopped by to deliver Schwartz a county proclamation.

He’s at that point when every birthday is a reason to celebrate a life lived well.

“I knew it was coming,” said Schwartz sitting silently in an easy chair as friends and family surrounded him. The colorful cake and aroma-producing appetizers waited patiently nearby. “I retired at 65. If I thought I was going to live this long, I wouldn’t have retired. But here I am.”

There is the hint of a smile as he strains to hear a question. “It was a mistake,” he said with a hint of humor. “I didn’t think I’d live this long. Anyhow, I guess I’m a lucky guy. I haven’t seen my whole family together for a long, long time.”

Schwartz has indeed lived a satisfying, productive life. It was in 1962 that the recently retired Navy officer arrived in Hanford having already lived a life worthy of a novel. He was an engineer by training who studied at the California Institute of Technology after graduating from high school at 15. He was born on April 287, 2015 in San Francisco and grew up in Los Angeles.

In 1941, already having served a year in the Navy, Schwartz found himself on Guam, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, unfortunately, closer to Japan than the United States. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and just two days later invaded Guam, taking Schwartz and his fellow seamen prisoner. He spent the next three years and nine months in a series of Japanese prison camps; his final detention was near Tokyo.

At age 99 Schwartz traveled to Japan for the first time since his POW experiences. His son, Jack Jr. joined him. “He was treated very well (by the Japanese),” said Schwartz’s only son who divides his time between the Bay Area and Hanford.

He doesn’t like to talk about his POW experiences but considers himself lucky. He told another journalist a few years ago that about 30 percent of Americans captured by the Japanese died in prison. He was one of the lucky ones.

Son Jack told The Leader that Schwartz didn’t much like to talk about the war but conceded that his father's captors did beat him. “He considers himself to be one of the luckiest … because he was an officer.”

He was married at the time, and his family didn’t recognize him when he returned. He returned to Long Beach and resumed his Navy career, a journey that took him from Cal Tech to Europe’s NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to New Mexico and Nevada where he helped to engineer nuclear test sites.

After an impressive 22-year Navy career, he ended up in Hanford, taking a job as the Public Works Department as the city’s engineer. He stayed in the position until his second retirement in 1980. He’s seen a lot of growth in Hanford and Kings County, and he played a role in that growth.

Since arriving in 1962, Schwartz has accumulated 56 years of civic services. Included in the lifetime of services were years as a member of the Kings County Grand Jury, the Hanford Planning Commission, and the Hanford Recreation Commission.

And more than 20 years ago he started woodturning, a hobby he still practices occasionally.

It’s been quite the experience for The Remington resident. He was born in his home in San Francisco 103 years ago, just nine years after the great earthquake of 1906. He and his family made it through the Great Depression, World War II, the Atomic Bomb and probably the most significant technological revolution in the history of the world.

He’s often asked about the reasons for his longevity. Considering his father died at 45, he’s surprised he has lived so long. But when he turned 102, he told The Sentinel he often replies to those who ask and then delivers what seems a stock answer, crediting clean living and hard work that contributed to his long life.  He’s not sure that has anything to do with it, but he says it sounds good.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fresno Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War, Commander Vern Schmidt, 315 E. Nees Ave., #104, Fresno CA 93720-2013; or Sequoia Lake YMCA Camp Redwood Capital Fund, 320 N. Akers St., Visalia, CA 93291.