Cleveland clinic celebrates WW II Vet for his 105th birthday
Members of the “Greatest Generation” are dwindling. But staff at the Cleveland VA clinic were lucky to celebrate one of them this week for his 105th birthday.
Wayne Perry, a World War II Army Veteran, was surprised with a party and cake Wednesday at the clinic and was presented with a centenarian coin and letter of commendation from Denis McDonough, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
In return, the spry Perry — a little hard of hearing but still possessing a great long-term memory — regaled the assemblage with stories of his time in the war and his life afterward.
But there was one theme that cropped time and again: Being grateful for a long, happy life, and not taking that for granted.
“I heard a man say one time that life had handed him a dirty meal,” he said. “I don’t say that about myself. I’m glad that I was born when and where I was.
“Look how lucky we are,” he said, noting how easy it is for Americans to buy whatever they want. “You think you’re not living good? Go somewhere else and see. I’ve seen hundreds of people starving to death.”
He talked about giving bread to hungry families after the war and how grateful Europeans were when they encountered American soldiers.
“Yes, we are a blessed people in the United States, but some people don’t recognize that,” he said. “Every country I’ve been in, they talk about going to America.”
Perry was born Nov. 22, 1919, in West Virginia. His grandfather was a Civil War Veteran, and his half-brother had returned from his World War I service just a month before Perry was born.
Perry served from October 1944 to March 1946. He made the rank of sergeant as a heavy truck driver and also worked as a cook.
But he saw many men die on the battlefield, especially during the Battle of the Bulge, and he was always grateful that he made it home alive.
“I saw ambulances full of our boys, and many laying across the hoods of Jeeps coming from the front lines,” he said. “But I got home without any injuries.”
Celebrating a Veteran
During the party, Perry received other gifts and well wishes. The small waiting area in the clinic — festooned with balloons and congratulatory signs — was filled with clinic staff and others who came out to celebrate Perry.
“We love you, brother,” said Ken Corry, a training specialist for the Milwaukee VA’s Northeastern Wisconsin Ambulatory Clinics. “Thank you for paving the way … so we can have the freedoms we have today.”
Those words were echoed in the letter Perry received from McDonough:
“Because of patriots like you who answered the call to defend our nation, we remain grateful to you and your generation for helping defend democracy and shaping the world we live in today. … You are an inspiration to others and those you have touched.”
“He does us proud,” said Mary Strong, Perry’s granddaughter and caregiver. “It’s so sweet that everybody got together. Seeing all these smiling faces and all this adoration and joy — it does our heart good to see him enjoying that.”
Strong said she’s thankful that she gets to live with and care for her grandfather and said it’s important for people to honor Veterans by listening to their stories.
“It’s important not to repeat some of the worst parts of history, and if you listen to those stories, then you’ll know … to not repeat those mistakes.
“It’s a privilege to live in the same home as him. I get to spend every day seeing him and enjoying his company and hearing his stories. I feel it’s an honor to do that.”