A Marine in the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati, Ohio, is observing Veterans Day and also celebrating a major milestone.
World War II veteran Jay MaGee is turning 99 years old Friday and continues living life to the fullest, WLWT reported.
“I think that the good Lord looks after you and leads you, and you do what the good Lord told you to do. So, I’m happy,” MaGee told the outlet.
His past experiences include a visit to the White House, where he met the first President George Bush. However, his greatest accomplishment was serving his country as a Marine.
“It means that I was lucky and I didn’t get killed. And I was able to satisfy the wants of the people,” he commented.
Following his enlistment as a gunner for a machine gun platoon right after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he survived many battles against the Japanese.
Upon his return home, he married his sweetheart, Edna, and the couple raised three sons. Although MaGee’s wife passed away in 2014, he continues spending time with his nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
November 11 originally marked the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that brought World War I to a close, and thus was called Armistice Day, but the name was later changed to Veterans Day to encompass all veterans who fought and sacrificed themselves in all wars, according to Military.com.
“It is with honor, courage, and commitment that we stand in the face of adversity with unwavering resilience poised to overcome the most formidable of foes,” Capt. Patrick Guide, USMC Reserve, said in a Veterans Day video on Friday, reminding viewers that “Freedom is not free.”
“So with knowledge of this legacy and faith in something greater than ourselves, we stand boldly determined to make a difference, to make our presence felt. And to this cause, we dedicate our very lives,” he said of his fellow Marines.