Atlanta World War II veteran celebrates 102nd birthday

ATLANTA - An Atlanta veteran is celebrating a milestone Tuesday that few are lucky enough to get to - he's turning 102 years old.  

Albert "Hank" Sturgess had an early birthday celebration Monday surrounded by family and friends.  

Sturgess has lived in Atlanta since 1931 after moving to the city at the age of 10. He now resides at A.G. Rhodes Wesley Woods near Emory University, the college where he earned his degree in 1942.

The World War II veteran received a Presidential Citation from the Secretary of the Navy for his bravery in combat in the South Pacific.

Sturgess told Good Day's Buck Lanford that he remembered being at "the tip of the spear" serving on the U.S.S. Radford near the Solomon Islands.

"We had to act very quickly with the information we had," he said. "We couldn't contemplate it. We just had to act."

After the war, Sturgess remained active in his community, eventually being named Atlanta Realtor the Year. He was also president of the Sandy Springs Chamber of Commerce and president of the Sons of the American Revolution.

When asked about his secret to living a long life, Sturgess was extremely modest.

"It's all by God's grace because I didn't do anything different. I lived the same life that you're living now. It's just by God's grace that he's allowed me to live as long as I have," Sturgess said

Family members say everyone who meets Sturgess "loves him instantly."

From all of us here at FOX 5, happy birthday, Mr. Sturgess!