Colorado Army veteran surprised on 101st birthday

By CONOR MCCUE

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A World War II veteran got quite the surprise in Centennial Monday, as he celebrated a milestone few people ever live to see. Thanks to about a dozen friends, caretakers and strangers, Ray Chambers’ 101st birthday may now be one of his most memorable.

No matter how many years go by, celebrating life’s special moments rarely gets old, and for Chambers, Monday was no exception. For about an hour, close to a dozen people filled his living room to celebrate his 101st birthday. While the milestone was no surprise to him, the party was.

“[A] complete surprise,” Chambers said. “They just walked in, and she started setting things up and then I began to realize something like, this was happening.”

At 101, Chambers has lived a full and impressive life. As a young man, he served in the U.S. Army as a glider pilot, earning multiple prestigious awards, including a Purple Heart.

“I flew a glider full of troops into Normandy from England,” Chambers said. “Everyone thought you were nuts to fly gliders.”

Chambers later went to school, married the love of his life and built the home he still lives in today with the help of Heather Holmes, as well as caretakers with Colorado Palliative and Hospice Care.

“He gets around, he can get up and down the stairs and he’s doing a great job,” Holmes said.

On Monday, Holmes stayed by Chambers’ side while musicians serenaded him, and the American Legion honored him with a certificate of appreciation. They were just two of several surprises planned by Mary Ozanic, who manages program services for Colorado Palliative and Hospice Care.

Chambers is one of her many patients, although few are doing this well at this age.

“It’s wonderful to see him happy,” Ozanic said. “I think that there are so many people out there with stories still in them, that they haven’t had a chance to express. It was a way to say ‘thank you.'”

With more than a century of living, Chambers has a lot of stories to tell and has no problem sharing them. This one will be up there for years to come.

“He’ll be on a high for a while discussing this special day,” Holmes said.

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