Advice from a 104-year-old WWII Combat Medic on how to live a long, good life
"No smoking, little drinking, and be good to people. If you’re smart, you’ll take care of yourself and think of your family," says 104-year-old decorated U.S. Army Veteran David G. Perez.
Perez is part of less than one percent of the 16 million Veterans who served in World War II that are still with us today. His journey through significant battles in the Pacific as a combat medic offers valuable lessons on living a good long life.
Perez was labeling vegetable cartons for the E. E. Harden Packing Company in Salinas when he was drafted at the age of 21 years old. Entering active duty on November 7, 1941, at the Presidio of Monterey, his training began at Camp Roberts in San Miguel, Calif., and continued at the former Fort Ord in Marina, Calif. Due to a shortage of actual weapons, they had to learn how to assemble weapons from picture diagrams drawn on chalkboards.
He was initially destined for the Philippines, but his path was diverted to Hawaii where he was temporarily stationed after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During this time, he met the Nakamani family who took him in as one of their own.
"They adopted me as a son," Perez fondly recalls. "I was treated like family, which was wonderful."
This experience would prove to be a stark contrast to what was to come. He left Hawaii to campaign through the Mariana Islands, in particular Saipan, and Okinawa, Japan, as a combat medic with the 165th Regiment, 27th Division.
On June 21, 1944, during military operations against the enemy at Saipan, Perez left a covered position and rushed over rocky ground to provide first aid and evacuate four wounded men while under heavy enemy fire. He would later receive the Bronze Star for his actions.
The Battle of Saipan was a pivotal moment in the Pacific campaign, with nearly 3,000 American soldiers killed and more than 10,000 wounded among the 71,000 U.S. troops that landed.
After Saipan, Perez and his unit participated in the Battle of Okinawa, where he was knocked unconscious by a shell explosion. He later experienced constant headaches, earaches, and impaired hearing.
"My poor mother, she had to sit by me because I had all those dreams... My mom was right there with me... taking care of me," he recounted, emphasizing the intensity of his nightmares.
These conditions caused by shell explosions were referred to as battle fatigue at the time but now could be more related to what we know as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
After his injury and the departure of the division from Okinawa, he was sent home and found himself being discharged from Hammond General Hospital in Modesto, Calif. He moved back to the Monterey Bay area and took a job in retail before marrying his wife Lillian, in 1950. Eight years later they had two children, Celia, and Felicia.
Now many years later, Felicia has become a significant support for her father. With Perez currently staying at the Menlo Park VA Community Living Center after a fall in September of 2023, she has embraced her role as his caregiver, staying in VA Palo Alto Fisher House, a facility that provides free lodging to military and Veteran families while their loved ones are being cared for in the facility.
As he looks back on his 104 years, Perez remains grateful for the people who have supported him, especially the family that continues to stand by his side.
"When I was in service, I thought of my family and friends. I'm proud of my country, but my family is what kept me strong," said Perez. “You can’t go out there by yourself.”