91-year-old vibrant veteran in Forsyth County still packs a punch
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. - You can catch Ralph Szweda at the Forsyth County YMCA several times a week. He, and a number of other veterans, participate in a slew of activities there. At 91, he is easily among the oldest. But, that hasn't stopped him from boxing to keep his mobility up.
Szweda is full of energy and pretty talkative for his age. FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kevyn Stewart took him one-on-one, and the vet pulled no punches.
In his opinion, too many people take Veterans Day for granted.
"In fact, I heard this comment the other day: 'Gee, I didn't notice any Veterans Day sales,'" recalled the Korean War-era veteran. "Well, I guess they were looking for a new mattress; kind of sad."
Szweda is hopeful for a bright future, but admits he gets disappointed sometimes. He doesn't believe Americans are good at remembering history.
Korean War Veteran Ralph Szweda
"Many places in this world still rely on our services. Being in the Korean War-era, many people don't realize what happened, don't remember," he exclaimed. "Youngsters aren't aware of [the] Vietnam [War]."
He reminded Stewart there is real danger in not knowing one's history, nor what he and other veterans experienced.
"'Cause if you don't know your history, you are going to repeat it," he said. "I know that's an axiom, but, at this time in our life, it's a very important axiom."
Too tall to fly the jets of the day, the veteran served the U.S., working in the Air Force for four years. He was stationed in Japan where he worked as a base mechanization specialist – meaning IT, before it was called IT.
After he was discharged, he went to college and taught.
Korean War Veteran Ralph Szweda
There's no fountain of youth responsible for Szweda's vibrant spirit after all these years. In fact, he told Stewart it's actually pretty simple.
"My secret is, mentally, I feel like I've got to exercise to go ahead and work," said Szweda. "I also try to eat healthily."
Check out more of FOX 5 Atlanta's stories involving veterans:
- Tunnel to Towers pays off mortgage for family of fallen Georgia soldier
- Veterans Day Charity Classic at Bear's Best raising money for veterans
- Georgia Army veteran gifted car Veterans Day Weekend after series of tragedies
- 13 US troops killed during Afghanistan withdrawal receive Congressional Gold Medals
- National Purple Heart Day: What to know about America’s oldest military award
- WWII veteran's long-lost bracelet reunited with Georgia family
The Source: This story was reported by FOX 5 Atlanta's Kevyn Stewart and edited by the FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team.