A member of the Greatest Generation turns 100!

This past Sunday, August 15th... Veterans (family members) representing the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force saluted World War II Veteran Mr. Stanley Saks, on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

As a member of the 82nd Airborne, it was appropriate that Mr. Saks was honored just one day before National Airborne Day – a day designated by Congress to honor the nation's airborne forces and commemorating the first official Army parachute jump which took place on August 16, 1940... 81 years ago!

Mr. Saks is a lifelong Philadelphian. A 1939 Graduate of West Philadelphia High School, he was walking along Cobbs Creek parkway with some friend's on Sunday December 7, 1941 when a car drove by and the driver shouted "We've been attacked!" The driver gave no other details and Mr. Saks and his colleagues wondered "Who attacked us and where?" A few minutes later they made it home to listen to the radio and learned of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Like so many on that day, they didn't know where Pearl Harbor was or why the Japanese attacked. It didn't take long to find out.

As a member of the 82nd Airborne he and his brothers-in-arms made their way across Europe from D-DAY (June 6th, 1944) right up to VE (Victory in Europe) Day on May 8th, 1945. It would take four more months before The Empire of Japan surrendered.

He is sharp of mind and in overall good health. He was able to pin his grandson's jump wings on when he graduated jump school and was also assigned to the 82nd Airborne. In addition, he served as Commander of the Pennsylvania Jewish American War Veterans for many years.

Mr. Saks's family - three children, 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren - many of whom are veterans themselves are Mr. Saks and his late wife Miriam’s greatest testimony to a life well lived!

On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. Coming four months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capitulation in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities to a final and highly anticipated close.

Americans poured into the streets of every city across the country to celebrate this great victory. Sixteen million Americans wore the uniform during World War II. Fewer than 400,000 of them remain with us today.

If you have a family member who served in World War II, this would be a great time to reach out to them and THANK them! Write down and record their stories and recollections from that time. 

The last veterans of World War II are dying. But our memory of what they did must never fade away.

Hand salute to Mr. Saks... Bravo Zulu, Semper Fi and Airborne!

About the author - Paul McBride is a former Marine, and RVP at ZeOmega Population Health Management Software a leader in Care Management and Medicare Advantage software. He is also the Founder and President of American Military Society Press. You can contact him at pmcbride@amsp1775.com