WWII Veteran from Kansas Celebrates 100th Birthday: ‘It Means a Whole Lot’

World War II Veteran Joseph Frendle celebrated his 100th birthday on November 21 surrounded by family and friends in Tecumseh, Kansas.

Frendle celebrated his centennial milestone at the Tecumseh Park Shelter House, WIBW reports.

“It means a whole lot, everybody that comes and says hello, they mean a lot,” Frendle told the outlet. 

“We are just so proud that he is here, so blessed, and we just wanted to let him know how much we love him and appreciate,” said Joe’s daughter-in-law Debbie Frendle. 

Joe served in World War II as a private first class after he was drafted into the U.S. Army in July of 1942, according to the Topeka VA Medical Center.

“He served in the Battle of the Bulge and he doesn’t talk about it much,” Debbie told WIBW. “It’s very hard and very painful for him to talk about it, but he was there; he was an army medic.”

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Battle of the Ardennes, occurred between December 16, 1944, and January 16, 1945, according to Britannica. It was Germany’s last major offensive on the Western Front and was “an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home territory.”

In the Battle of the Bulge, “Joe drove an ambulance, worked at the hospital, served in the operating room and the front lines for a time,” according to the Topeka VA Medical Center. He was discharged on November 11, 1945. 

A family friend gifted Joe a shell casing from the Battle of the Bulge. The gift is a symbol of the sacrifice Joe made for his country and its citizens. 

“He’s made an impact on all of our lives. He’s just one of those guys that everyone tries to be, they try to be like him,” Debbie told WIBW.