Just days after celebrating his 100th birthday, Daniel Obriot of , a World War II veteran, shared memories and said he is looking forward to his 101st birthday. Obriot, who is a widower, is independent, still drives and spends his time reading history. His grandfather lived to 102, his mother to 98 and his brother, who was diabetic, reached the age of 96.
With little more than a cane to keep steady, Obriot said he does not have any serious ailments. He offered no secret health tips explaining his longevity. “I eat a lot of stuff that I shouldn’t,” he said.
He quit smoking back in 1953 after seeing a report that cigarettes might lead to heart disease. In his youth, Obriot recalled, he told his father that one day he would join the Navy. That happened on Dec.
10, 1942, when Obriot was 18, enlisting for six years. He remembered getting paid $21 a month, having three daily meals and housing. He also recalled not liking the hat he was required to wear as part of his uniform.
He’d decided to join after seeing the news at the movie theater – the only place he could watch the news in those days – about the Battle of Midway and, he said, “just wanting to get back at the Japanese.” He spent 27 months in the South Pacific on the USS Feland transporting cargo, weapons and Marines to various islands. He also retrieved those troops after battles were fought.
This task included bringing the many young, wounded and dead Marines home, he said. He got through the many atrocitie.
