Army Air Corps veteran Frederick Behn recently celebrated his 100th birthday with a huge celebration that honored him and his military service.
Behn marked his milestone birthday because the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) at Eastern Oklahoma Veterans Affairs believes 100 years is worth celebrating and is on a mission to recognize as many veteran centenarians as possible, according to a VA release.
The CDCE centenarian celebration project is a special initiative honoring veterans turning 100. It was inspired by another project which began in 2020 with the VA Secretary recognizing centenarians with a personalized birthday letter.
That project is going strong and has been made a part of the celebrations in Eastern Oklahoma with each veteran celebrating receiving the letter along with a birthday party surrounded by the guest of honor’s family and VA health care teams.
“This is a small program but it’s making such a big impact and helping us in our mission to create a culture of kindness, inspiration, gratitude and positive messages throughout our health care system,” said Candice Jordan, CDCE chief.
Behn shared his experience during World War II when he served four years in the Army Air Corps.
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He also shared how much he now enjoys the country life, adding that some of his hobbies include hunting and fishing with his sons and spending time with his family.
“Mr. Behn is just one of the amazing people with extraordinary life stories who we have the privilege to serve at VA,” said Tana Wilson, CDCE specialist. “We owe so much to our veterans and this is just another way we can give back and show our appreciation.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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