Armonk resident Peter Hahn marked as Westchester's last living WWII fighter pilot

Retired Captain Peter Hahn is regarded by his family as the oldest living World War II fighter pilot in Westchester County.

Hahn, a resident of The Bristal assisted living facility in Armonk, is scheduled to turn 103 on November 23. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 while studying agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The decision to enlist was driven by the actions of his peers during that era. Hahn noted that a sergeant checked his blood pressure, he read an eye chart, and he passed a color blindness test before leaving Amherst at age 18. He did not return to receive his diploma for nearly four years. After training on the East Coast, he flew a Merlin engine aircraft out of England near the North Sea and English Channel. He completed 27 missions over Germany in 1945.

Following his military service, Hahn worked as an advertising executive in New York City. He later joined his wife, Edith Hahn, in publishing local newspapers in northern Westchester. Edith founded the North Castle News in 1963. The couple expanded the business into a small chain that included the Pleasantville Post. They sold the newspaper group in 1986.

Hahn described the newspaper work as a way of life that involved meeting many people. He wrote editorials and local theater reviews alongside his wife. Actor Peter Gallagher, who lived in Armonk at the time, received his first published review from Hahn. Gallagher sent a video message to Hahn when the veteran turned 100.

Edith Hahn died in April 2018 after 68 years of marriage. She was from Vienna, and her family fled the Nazis in 1939. Peter Hahn grew up in Woodmere, New York, in a Jewish family where German was the native language. He skipped seventh grade and graduated from Woodmere High School at age 16.

The couple purchased a recreational vehicle and traveled across the United States from 1997 until approximately 2014. They visited various communities and met people from different backgrounds during that period.

On Tuesday, November 10, Hahn celebrated Veterans Day at The Bristal. The facility organized a ceremony for him and 21 other veteran residents. Local students attended the event and presented the veterans with American flags, patriotic pins, and certificates of honor. Jeff Hahn, a 69-year-old son who lives in Armonk, attended the ceremony with his brothers Steven and sister Lisa, who also graduated from Byram Hills High School.

Jeff Hahn described his father as a national treasure. He noted that many young men of that generation volunteered for service. Hahn said he did not view his military service as a burden but as a thrilling experience. He stated that the service was a lot of fun for him as a young man.

Hahn concluded his reflections by describing the United States as an incredible country. He attributed that quality to the individual people who make up the nation.