103-Year-Old World War II Veteran Proudly Sings National Anthem At Baseball Game
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In a year celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, moments involving heroes from our nation’s past wars take on even greater significance.
Such was the case this summer at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, where a 103-year-old veteran of World War II sang the National Anthem.
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Watch A 103-Year-Old WWII Veteran Sing The National Anthem
Cpl. Wilbur J. “Jack” Myers is 103 years old, and he served the United States by fighting in the European Theater of World War II.
A recent profile done on Myers by ABC 7 News has renewed interest in his service during the war as well as his National Anthem performance.
Back in 1943, Myers was drafted into the Army, leaving behind his wife and their child as he began fighting through Nazi-occupied Europe.
His service during World War II would see him fight as a tank destroyer gunner in one of the most celebrated battles in military history, serving in the pivotal Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and early 1945.
Speaking with ABC 7 News, Myers said, “I never killed anybody I didn’t have to. That 90 millimeter was a powerful gun. If I put the crosshairs on something within 1,000 yards, I had it. It was a good gun.”
With the Battle of the Bulge in mind, he added, “It was terrible but at the same time we knew we had to do it because Hitler’s way of life was no way to live.”
Myers would also see, firsthand, one of the most harrowing aspects of the war, as he and his battalion liberated the infamous Dachau concentration camp.
Thinking back on Dachau, he told ABC 7 News:
“Terrible, very terrible. I mean, starving people. To go in there and liberate them like we did and see the people starving and dying and being killed, for one reason or another, made us want to take it over and change their way of life.”
However, he did acknowledge that he also shared something in common with the enemy: namely, Christian faith.
“When we took villages, I could see crucifixes on the wall and everything, and I knew they were Christians, so I didn’t hate my enemy, I felt sorry for them,” Myers recalled.
To this day, his faith remains important to him, with Myers telling ABC 7 News, “God is with me, the spirit is with me every second of my life and that’s wonderful.”
When he sang the National Anthem on July 11, he shared with ABC 7 News that he prayed before singing on the field, saying:
“I said, ‘Lord, be with me and help me,’ and I tell ya what, boy, I put her out there and sang the best I ever sang.”
He added, “I really think that was the best evening of my life.”
Throughout his performance, Myers shows how into the National Anthem he is, enjoying the audience reactions and the patriotic flyover and more.
Watch Myers’ energetic performance, here:
@baltimoresun 103-year-old World War II veteran Cpl. Wilbur J. “Jack” Myers, a Williamsport native, sings the national anthem at Camden Yards as part of the Orioles’ America 250 celebration on Saturday. Myers served as a corporal gunner in the U.S. Army’s 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service. He flawlessly delivered “The Star-Spangled Banner” and celebrated after by dancing with his family while Orioles fans gave him a standing ovation.
♬ original sound – Baltimore Sun
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