A World War II veteran celebrated his 100th birthday in Ohio on Thursday.
Ned Ammons of Genoa, Ohio, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, turned 100 on Thursday, WTOL reported.
Ammons graduated from high school in 1940 and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, he recalled in a 2019 episode of the Courier’s A Generation Forged by War podcast.
“When I graduated in ‘40, it was nothing going on. I joined the three C’s … I went to Oregon where we took care of whitewater washouts. In other words, we made little dams in these streams coming down.”
In January 1943, he told the Courier he was ultimately drafted January of 1943.
While serving as a cook in the 254th Field Artillery Battalion, Ammons became known as a talented athlete, competing in both basketball and boxing, per the Courier.
Ammons recalled on the podcast that he had been asked to join the unit’s basketball team and was once persuaded by the commander to delay his furlough so as not to miss games.
However, Ammons says interpersonal friction with another non-commissioned officer led him to request a transfer, per the Courier. During his stint in the army, he would serve at Fort Benning, Fort Laughton, Camp Livingston, and Fort Louis.
In 2013, the Toledo Blade reported that Ammons had participated in an honor flight of World War II veterans to Washington, DC.
He was among those honored in a 2021 pinning ceremony in Genoa as part of the Veteran’s Recognition program, the Fremont News Messenger noted.
WTOL reported in 2014 — the year of his 70th wedding anniversary — that he and his wife, Ruth, had three children, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
“I got a good family. I am very proud of them. They are, all of them, there is nothing they wouldn’t do for us and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them. As a matter of fact, they are very, very good at helping other people,” he said.
The outlet noted that he and Ruth will celebrate their 79th anniversary on March 26.
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