SAN DIEGO — Veteran Tom Crosby said he lived in a prison camp in the Philippines for three years during World War II.
Sunday, he joined hundreds of veterans at Liberty Station for “Spirit of '45," a celebration of the end of WWII. The event is known as VJ Day or Victory over Japan Day. More than 225 local veterans attended to mark the occasion.
"It's a wonderful time and it's a reunion for all of us to interact with each other and talk about the old times and wars we’ve been in," said Crosby.
The event is held on the second Sunday of August each year to honor the day President Truman announced the war's end 78 years ago.
This year, Honor Flight San Diego also recognized the 70th anniversary of the Korean War's end and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
In total, more than 220 local veterans from diverse backgrounds shared their stories. The twelve oldest attendees were between 99-103 years old.
Gil Nadeau is one of them. As a 99-year-old Navy veteran, he says he hopes the younger generation will grow a bigger appreciation for those who have served.
"Life has changed so much. They walk around with a cell phone in front of them. I ask, 'don’t you talk to your friends?' and they say 'we are talking to our friends' and they are sitting right next to them!" said Nadeau.
CBS 8 asked some attendees for words of wisdom.
"When people ask me if I have any advice, I say take care of your teeth while you have them because once you lose them; you lose the pleasure of eating," laughs 99-year-old veteran Ernest Andrus.
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