Pete Behenna was born on July 22, 1926, in Somerville, MA, as the second-to-last of 13 children. He became interested in airplanes at age 6 after seeing a biplane fly. At 17, he wanted to volunteer for the Navy but joined the Seabees instead due to colorblindness. He trained in Virginia and California, then served in Hawaii, helping to construct the Naval Air Station Kahului. In October 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the U. S. aimed to isolate Japan by invading Leyte. After the battle, Seabee officers found a suitable area on Samar Island for a necessary airstrip. They started work and, despite heavy rains, the airstrip was operational within weeks. In May 1945, Behenna and the 142nd Naval Construction Battalion worked on expanding this airstrip, which would support military operations. After the war ended in August 1945, Behenna was transferred to the 32nd Special Seabee Battalion in China to help repatriate Japanese and Korean personnel. This task was complicated by the resurgence of the Chinese civil war. Behenna maintained vehicles for the Marines but was limited in engagement. In April 1946, Behenna returned home, finished high school, and pursued his Airframe and Powerplant license. He worked for American Airlines at Boston’s Logan Airport, then transferred to Los Angeles to avoid cold winters. He married Gloria and they had four children. Throughout his 35-year career, he worked on various aircraft and even helped restore a WWII-era fighter plane. Upon retiring in 1989, he moved to Magalia, CA, before relocating to Desert Hot Springs in 2004. There, he became a docent at the Palm Springs Air Museum and preferred to interact with children rather than work in restoration. Behenna had four children and seven grandchildren, and Gloria has since passed away.