Categories: Stories

WWII Veteran Gets A Special Birthday Honor After His Party Was Canceled Due To The Pandemic

ADVERTISEMENT

Lt. Col. Sam Sachs recently got a special birthday honor after his party was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus. He celebrated his 105th birthday this past weekend and even got a special letter from President Donald Trump. In addition, he also got a parade of well-wishers in cars, military vehicles, and an appearance from a Los Angeles County sheriff’s helicopter.

“It’s a marvelous feeling, yes, really,” Sachs says as he watched the parade pass by his residential living neighborhood. “The emotions are running so high … It just doesn’t get any better than this. It’s just unbelievable. This is a dream.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Lt. Col. Sam Sachs wanted birthday cards in place of his canceled birthday party

Lt. Col. Sam Sachs / Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

In a video posted to YouTube titled “Sam Sachs 105 BDAY Wish,” Sachs wondered how many birthday cards he could get after his party was canceled. Well, since then, he has earned about 6,200 cards from across the U.S. and counting. The hour-long parade along his residential neighborhood consisted of both classic and modern cars and motorcycles. The parade also included a dozen Los Angeles County sheriff’s vehicles and a county fire truck with their sirens going off.

ADVERTISEMENT

RELATED: 96-Year-Old WWII Vet Uses D-Day Mohawk To Spread Joy And Laughter During Pandemic

Some of these vehicles were decorated in American flags and also had balloons and signs to honor the WWII vet. The vehicle’s occupants were waving to him and thanking him for his service. “I just can’t believe it. I can’t believe all this is happening. Gee whiz!” he says, speaking into the microphone in his yard. “Thank you, folks. Thank you for making my day. I had no idea what to expect … This is magical.”

He has a lot of history with WWII

Lt. Col. Sam Sachs / Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Sachs served in the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He also took part in the Normandy invasion and ended up being part of a unit that helped liberate a concentration camp in Germany. Ivonne Meader, who owns the assisted living home, says that Sachs is overwhelmed with positive emotion after all of this.

“He’s being overwhelmed in a good way right now,” she says. “Every day is more. Every day [it] just multiplies more.”

Sam Sachs’ birthday cards / Genaro Molina/Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times

Sachs was then asked if his 105th birthday is now his favorite birthday. “You bet it’s my favorite birthday. The question is will I be here at 106? Who knows? Who knows? I’ll work at it. You’d better believe I’ll work at it,” he responds. Happy 105th birthday to Lt. Col. Sam Sachs! And a big ‘thank you’ for your service!

Show comments
Share
Published by

Recent Posts

test

test

4 years ago

‘The Little Rascals’: The ‘Our Gang Curse’ That May Have Haunted the Cast Throughout the Years

Hollywood “curses” are a strange thing as people tend to look at the collective deaths…

4 years ago

Florida Man Pays Utility Bills For Over 100 Families For Second Christmas In A Row

74-year-old Michael Esmond is putting on the Santa Claus gear this year once again as…

4 years ago

Orlando PD Donates Christmas Gifts To More Than 200 Kids In Need

Police officers from Orlando, FL donated and delivered Christmas gifts to more than 200 kids…

4 years ago

The 1965 Kecksburg Incident: What Fell Over Pennsylvania?

On December 9, 1965, a blue-tinged fireball streaked across the sky over Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. However,…

4 years ago

Why The Pandemic Helped Bring Back Sunday Family Dinners

Over years, less emphasis ended up placed on traditional Sunday family dinners. In those times,…

4 years ago