AUSTIN, Texas (KCBD) – Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is encouraging Texans to send at least 100 birthday cards to Wiley Tow, a World War II Army veteran who lives at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo, ahead of his 100th birthday on Friday, Aug. 14.
Tow’s birthday celebration is open to the public and is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the home’s dining room, 1020 Tascosa Rd., according to the Texas Veterans Land Board, which is coordinating the effort with the Texas General Land Office.
Tow was inducted into the U.S. Army on Nov. 4, 1944, and served in the Central European Campaign during World War II. He earned multiple awards, including the Good Conduct Medal and the Army of Occupation Ribbon (Germany), officials said. As a technical sergeant, he led a team of mechanics responsible for keeping military vehicles operational.
After his military service, Tow married Florence Bonds. The couple raised three sons and a daughter, officials said.
The request for birthday cards is part of the Veterans Land Board’s “100 for 100” program, an outreach effort supporting residents of Texas State Veterans Homes as they reach 100 years old.
The agency is also asking those who plan to attend to RSVP through an online form. To find that form, click here.
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