To the Editor:

This past election, while working the polls in Surf City, I was honored to meet two gentlemen who I will remember forever. John Gutbrod, age 103, and Bill Willem, age 101, were both proud to exercise their right to vote. Fortunately for us, they came in right after each other. Since there was no one else voting at the time, we were able to briefly visit with these two centenarians. We quickly discovered that we were in the presence of a combined 204 years of WWII veterans.

In fact, Mr. Gutbrod shared that he was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, landing behind enemy lines on D-Day.

November 13, 2024