Two 100-year-old World War II veterans, born on the same day, meet
Both Jim Black and Gerry Schumacher served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and were stationed in Guam at the same time.
May 16, 2024Updated: May 16, 2024
By News Channel Nebraska
By News Channel NebraskaNORFOLK, Neb. —Two veterans, both born on January 22, 1924, and both having celebrated their 100th birthdays this year, finally met in person on Thursday.
Both Jim Black and Gerry Schumacher served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and were stationed in Guam at the same time.
Their visit was made possible with the help of a friend.
“I’m just so excited they got to meet each other," William Schumacher said. "I was really disappointed a couple of weeks ago. I was like, ‘dang it, we need to get this done.’ But today is the day.”
Having lived through events from the Great Depression to the COVID-19 pandemic, both centenarians strive to stay as active as possible.
“We’re just plain old fortunate," Gerry Schumacher said. "I got started electrical in the Navy. When I got discharged, I still worked for 30 years so I had a good life.”
Schumacher said he hopes to continue to meet any veterans from his generation in Nebraska. Earlier in May, Gov. Jim Pillen announced an initiative to recognize World War II veterans. There are currently around 800 living World War II veterans in the state.