San Diego Air & Space Museum Volunteers Norman and Gage Yancovich

This summer, the Museum’s Gillespie Field Annex welcomed a unique volunteer team: grandfather and grandson Norman and Gage Yancovich. Each contributed about 160 volunteer hours, working primarily on two World War II-era Willys Jeeps and assisting with other projects as needed. Their time at the Museum combined restoration work, family history, and the opportunity to learn more about one another.

Norman, 77, has spent most of his life working with his hands. He began learning automotive repair at age 10 in a neighborhood repair shop. While still in high school, he and a friend took over the friend’s family starter-and-generator business after the owner died.

In 1968, at age 18, Norman joined the United States Marine Corps. He served for six years in the motor pool, building on the mechanical skills he had developed as a young man. After leaving the Marines in 1974, he opened an automotive business in New Orleans. In 1979, he also became a general contractor, operating separate automotive and construction businesses at the same time.

After moving to San Diego in 1985, Norman continued working on cars while expanding into cabinetry, woodworking, remodeling, and other specialized projects. He worked throughout San Diego County, including alongside his son, Chad. His automotive experience eventually grew to include mechanical repair, bodywork, hot rods, and racing.

Norman later moved to Prescott, Arizona, where he opened another automotive shop in 2012. After relocating to Texas in 2022, he continued accepting freelance automotive and hot-rod projects. He returned to San Diego in April 2026 to spend the summer with his family and soon brought decades of practical experience to the Museum’s restoration program.

For Gage, 15 and entering tenth grade at River Valley Charter School, the experience sparked a new interest in automotive mechanics. A World War II enthusiast with a strong interest in military history and historic weapons, he was especially drawn to the opportunity to work directly with the Museum’s Willys Jeeps. He now hopes to pursue a future involving mechanics or another hands-on technical field.

Working at Gillespie allowed Gage to do more than observe. Norman gave him the freedom to participate directly, solve problems, and learn through experience. Gage appreciated that his grandfather turned the work into a series of teachable moments instead of simply completing the repairs himself. The experience helped Gage build confidence in his mechanical abilities and sparked a new interest that may continue well beyond this summer.

The work also helped grandfather and grandson understand each other better. Norman discovered that Gage is highly focused and willing to devote considerable time to getting something right, although he can also be stubborn. He recognized similarities between them, particularly their shared determination and their tendency to become deeply absorbed in work that interests them.

For Gage, the chance to learn from his grandfather while helping preserve historic vehicles made this his best summer yet. He plans to return next summer and hopes to help restore the cannon associated with the Museum’s MiG-21 aircraft.

Norman and Gage’s service demonstrates how volunteering can preserve more than historic objects. Through their work at the Museum’s Gillespie site, mechanical knowledge developed across a lifetime was shared with a new generation. At the same time, a grandfather and grandson created memories and skills that will remain with them long after the restoration work is complete.