Veteran Who Survived Four WWII Invasions Celebrates Turning 100: ‘I’m Glad to Still Be Here’

World War II veteran Stanley Byars, 92, of Atlanta, center, holds his hat during the singi
AP Photo/David Goldman, File
Amy Furr

A man named Bud Clauson celebrated a huge milestone on Sunday after living through some of the most significant moments in history.

Clauson lives at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon, and he told the Springfield News-Leader he has no idea how he lived for so long, the outlet reported.

The man, who just celebrated his 100th birthday, noted, “But I’m still here for some reason. I don’t know what — you never know the Lord’s plan — but I’m glad to still be here.”

Clauson was born on August 7, 1922, in Rockford, Illinois, and later reached the rank of Petty Officer Second Class while serving in the Navy.

He lived through four World War II invasions and worked transporting troops held on amphibious warships.

Video footage showed the history of amphibious operations during the war:

Prior to those experiences, he endured the Great Depression alongside his family, a historical event described as “the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from the stock market crash of 1929 to 1939,” according to History.com.

The site continued:

It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and employment as failing companies laid off workers. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country’s banks had failed.

Once he completed his military service, Clauson went back to his hometown for work, later retiring in Florida then moving to Springfield with his wife to be near their loved ones.

After she passed away in 2018, Clauson settled in at the veterans home.

Multiple relatives reportedly attended his birthday party, and Clauson had been looking forward to the celebration.

“I’ve been thinking about this all year,” he told the News-Leader.

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