WWII Veterans’ Centenarian Stories Span US, UK

As the number of surviving World War II veterans dwindles, several centenarians are reflecting on their service and the lives they built afterward. Springfield’s Art Cochran, who turns 100, served in the Army Air Corps and later became an acclaimed track and cross-country coach; he still plays golf and drives. Walt Gallagher, who turned 100, survived the devastating 1945 attack on the USS Franklin, while 101-year-old Navy veteran Siemen credits staying mentally, physically and socially active with keeping him engaged. British veteran Alec Penstone, who died at 101, offered a more somber reflection, questioning whether the freedoms his friends died for had been preserved in modern Britain.