The Kid from Mono Mills: Augie's Century

Born in 1914 at Mono Mills in California's Eastern Sierra, Augie Hess' century of life is told in his own colorful words. His father, born in Switzerland, worked as a miner, mechanic and blacksmith and helped develop the town of Lee Vining. Augie shares his Paiute mother's culture, his school years in Lee Vining, Bishop, Seattle, and college in Pasadena. Always a talented athlete, he became a champion ski racer, baseball pitcher (scouted by the Pacific Coast League) and today remains a talented golfer. Augie worked as a cowboy, mucker in a gold mine, greased vehicles working on the Los Angeles Aqueduct and as an Army Air Corps mechanic during World War II, to keep war planes flying. A husband and father, he operated a gas station for four decades. This amazing life story touches every aspect of local life in the Mono Basin, shaped by 100 years of world history.