A very special birthday party was held Sunday in the Lehigh Valley for man who bravely fought in World War II.
More than 100 people came to celebrate the life of Harley Wenninger as he turned 100 years young.
“I’m just glad I made it,” Wenninger said with a laugh.
A man who has seen so much in his century on earth. His life began humble and hard.
“We only had one room that was heated when we were kids, and it was six that was in the family,” said Wenninger. “Upstairs there was no heat, no bathrooms, nothing.”
Then the United States joined World War II. At 17, Wenninger enlisted in the Navy. After bootcamp he was put on a train and sent to California where he boarded the USS San Diego.
“I had never been away from home before,” said Wenninger. “They put me on a ship; it was the first time I had seen the ocean.”
He was soon headed to Japan, where he became an integral part of the war. Wenninger said, “We went to 14 battles. We went to Iwo Jima.
He would bear witness to Japan’s surrender.
“We tied up at the dock, and we were the first shift to go in there and we rolled up and the artillery was covered with white sheets,” he said. “When we left the dock, the Missouri pulls up and that’s when they signed the peace treaty.”
Wenninger got married to the love of his life, Olive in 1951. Together they had two daughters, Anne and Jane. And made plenty of friends over his lifetime. An avid hunter, he hunted up until two years ago, making more friends along the way.
He tells us that’s his secret to a long life; stay busy and help others. Wenninger said, “I was always ambitious. I always worked. I did more favors for people, a lot more than people know.”