{"id":7650,"date":"2026-02-27T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7650"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:30:00","slug":"a-century-of-service-navy-veteran-celebrates-milestone-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7650","title":{"rendered":"A century of service: Navy Veteran celebrates milestone birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tni-source-date\"><strong>Originally published:<\/strong> 2026-02-27T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">100 years, one incredible journey<\/h2>\n<p>Employees and fellow Veterans came together at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/birmingham-health-care\" rel=\"noopener\">Birmingham VA Clinic<\/a> to celebrate a special milestone: the 100th birthday of World War II Navy Veteran Therold Roberts.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Grit and determination<\/h2>\n<p>Roberts didn\u2019t ask for a big celebration, but he said that if anything was done, he wanted it to be with the people and in the place that matters most to him: with his health care team, caregivers and fellow Veterans at the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/?s=Birmingham+VA+Clinic\">Birmingham VA Clinic<\/a>. His wish was honored with a heartfelt gathering full of gratitude and respect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels good. Really good,\u201d Roberts said when asked about reaching this milestone. \u201cIt takes grit and determination to live 100 years. Now that I\u2019ve made it, my next goal is to add another 15 at least.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A legacy preserved<\/h2>\n<p>As part of the celebration, a special table was arranged to showcase meaningful items from his life and service. Among the treasures was a journal he kept during World War II, offering a glimpse into his experiences as a young sailor during one of history\u2019s most pivotal moments.<\/p>\n<p>The display also included a framed professional photo of Roberts in uniform, a shadowbox showcasing his service medals, a cherished family photograph and other mementos that reflected his legacy. Each piece told a story, not just of military service, but of a life well lived, filled with love, hard work, and commitment to country and family. Guests paused to reflect on the items, making the celebration not only a birthday party but a tribute to a century of history embodied in one remarkable man.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regarding living history<\/h2>\n<p>Roberts was born in January 1926, in Fairfield, Ala., and grew up in Cullman. He joined the Navy just weeks before turning 18, serving from January 1944, to February 1946. During World War II, he served on a transport ship in the Pacific, with assignments in Yokosuka, Japan, and along the Luzon River in the Philippines.<\/p>\n<p>After his military service, Roberts worked for a short time as a photographer before starting a long civilian career as a machinist, from which he retired in 1984. He later worked part-time as a repairman for a restaurant chain. He and his late wife raised their family in Warrior, Ala., where he still lives with his son in their family home.<\/p>\n<p>The celebration was a quiet but meaningful tribute to a century of service, hard work and family. It was a reminder of the living history cared for every day at VA and the honor of serving those who have served our nation.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"tni-attribution\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/145257\/century-service-navy-vet-celebrates-birthday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World War II Navy Veteran Therold Roberts celebrated his 100th birthday at the Birmingham VA Clinic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A century of service: Navy Veteran celebrates milestone birthday - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"World War II Navy Veteran Therold Roberts celebrated his 100th birthday at the Birmingham VA Clinic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7650\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A century of service: Navy Veteran celebrates milestone birthday - 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