Pearl Harbor survivor takes to the skies for 100th birthday celebration

By ALEXIS CORTEZ, WHITNEY CLARK

Click here for updates on this story

    MESA, Arizona (KPHO, KTVK) — World War II Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor Joseph “Jack” Holder is celebrating his 100th birthday in a special way.

On the eve of his birthday, Holder took to the skies in ‘Amazing Grace’, a World War II aircraft to celebrate his special day. The Navy aviator flew 315 missions during his time in the military and has received dozens of medals for his achievements. Holder’s birthday is Dec. 13, but received the surprise a day early.

Holder’s sense of humor is strong despite his age. “How old do you feel?” a woman asked Holder when he was getting ready to take flight. “Uh…39,” he replied, earning chuckles from everyone around him.

Holder’s friends are also collecting birthday cards from the community to celebrate the milestone birthday. On Dec. 11, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 720 also hosted a surprise birthday party for Holder. In addition, Holder also went to Hawaii this year for the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks.

Holder is one of the last living survivors of Pearl Harbor. He was transferred to Pearl Harbor in December 1940 as a member of PBY Squadron. The day of the attack, Dec. 7, 1941, Holder was on duty at Fort Island when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The veteran says the machine gunfire barely missed killing him, and Holder and his fellow comrades took cover in a sewer ditch.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.