Georgia WWII veteran celebrates 103rd birthday

WOODSTOCK, Ga. - A World War II veteran in Georgia is celebrating his 103rd birthday this week.

"Yeah, today is my birthday, 103," Charlie O. Duncan said during a party on Wednesday at the Semper Fi Bar & Grille in Woodstock.

Duncan was born on May 27, 1919. At age 25, after two deferments, he was drafted into the U.S. Army as a combat engineer. In 1944, he was given the weekend to report to Fort McPherson in Atlanta. From there he would go through basic training in Virginia and Texas. He was then shipped out from New York to England.

Duncan said his most memorable part about serving was seeing the countries. From England, he landed in France, drove through Belgium and on to Germany. He said he got lucky as he only got into one battle. He said he was just outside of Berlin when the war ended.

During his time, he would deliver temporary bridges to the frontline. He drove a bailey bridge and a pontoon bridge up to the line where soldiers would assemble it. He then would work to reconstruct the destroyed bridges using scrap and former pieces.

In 2017, he reflected with the Marietta Daily Journal about seeing the concentration camps in Germany and his other experiences.

Duncan grew up on a farm in Georgia and said he had never even heard of Pearl Harbor before the attack. He came back home to that farm after about six months of service. He faced being redeployed in Japan, but never was.

Over the past century, he would try to live right, eat right and stay active.

"Look at the hair on my head," Duncan said, adding a comment about his lack of wrinkles on his face.

He said he will get tired out, but is still going strong.

"I don’t know how you're supposed to feel (at 103)," Duncan said.

He said he works out every day in the pool doing aerobics and walks a quarter mile.

Duncan did warn about living too long. He said he survived his wife who died in February and has been lonesome ever since. He said he’d like to see her again someday in the hereafter.

Still, his many friends, family, and admirers said they hope to have a celebration for him every year for the near future.

FOX 5 would like to thank him for his service and wish him an incredible 103rd birthday.