Larry Juanarena was born on May 3, 1932, in Chico, California. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on February 2, 1950, and was trained as an aircraft mechanic and B-36 Peacemaker crew chief, serving his entire enlistment with Strategic Air Command at Castle AFB, California, Carswell AFB, Texas, and Loring AFB, Maine. SSgt Juanarena left active duty on May 30, 1955, and later owned and operated Pat n' Larry's Steakhouse in Chico, California. He often threw fundraisers for military families, POWs, veterans, and soldiers. Larry Juanarena died on June 6, 2010, and was buried at the Chico Cemetery in Chico, California. Larry and his wife, the former Patsy Lou Dutton, were married from 1974 until her death in 2009.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.