Beechtree resident, USMC veteran, celebrates 100th birthday

A lifetime can consist of hundreds of moments in time that define a person and their experiences. Those lifetimes, however, rarely consist of 100 years to experience those moments.

On Dec. 18 at the Beechtree Rehabilitation Center, resident Albert Carr got to join an exclusive club by turning 100-years-old.

A United States Marine Core veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he has seen things that are difficult to talk about, much less witness. During his live he has also seen parts of the world some of us will never see and raised a family in Willseyville.

During the day he was surrounded by family and a USMC Color Guard, The Patriot Guard Riders of New York, which presented Carr with a special award and a ceremonial sword.

A rolling book case featuring titles pertaining to military history and strategy was present during the party. It’s been a passion of Carr’s according to his son, and many of the titles the center has are because of Carr.

It’s not just military history and strategy that Carr has been passionate about for 100 years. Also present at the was a 12-pack of Genesee beer sat on a table to signify his love for beer, which has been a passion for most of his lifetime.

He even got involved in home-brewing beer, which he said he’d drink over any beer on the shelves.

“You could make it as strong as you want it,” he said. “I like the strong homebrew that’s dark.”

When he was defending the country as a machine-gunner for 10 years in the military he didn’t have a lot of time to think about how a person lives to be 100.

Now, nearly 70 years later, he shrugged and smiled when asked if he knew what the secret is to a century of life.

“I don’t know (how I lived to 100), I didn’t think it’d make it,” he said. “A lot of people don’t make it.”

Carr was almost one of those people, but very early on in life.

He was one of the first babies to be born in the Ithaca Memorial Hospital. Doctors said he might only live for a week.

“I’d love to see that doctor now,” he said, laughing.

A major portion of Carr’s life was defined by his military service. He was stationed in Asia during World War II, and fought in the Korean War. American troops were first deployed there in 1950.

Carr is wheel-chair bound, has lost most of his hearing and struggles breathing. His mind, however, remains sharp and the memories of the Korean War have not, and probably never will, leave his brain.

He is a religious man, and said that God saved him during the war on multiple occasions. But when he thinks of the beginning of his time during the war, all he can remember is the brutal, bone-cutting cold he and his fellow soldiers had to endure.

“It was so damn cold, 34 degrees below zero,” he said. “You almost hoped someone would shoot you so you could get out of there.”

Carr was able to get out of the war and returned a changed man.  He went from a boy who said he had never even shot a BB-gun to a Sergeant and a veteran of two wars.

With three months left on his enlistment, he was ready to re-enlist and make being a part of the Army his career.

It was a fateful dinner with his wife that changed his decision, because she would not allow him to sign up to endure deathly cold temperatures, and deadly shots from machine guns, ever again.

“I was going to stay in for 30 (years), but when I got back from Korea I took my wife out to dinner and I talked about enlisting again, and that did it,” he said. “I had three months left on my enlistment, and she said if I wasn’t back in three months she wouldn’t be either.”

He decided to not test if his wife was serious, and when his 10-years of service was done, he retired from the military.

Civilian life was treated Carr well, as he raised a family and continued to advance in age. Two years ago, he left his home for Beechtree, which his son mentioned that he was able to live on his own for 98-years.

Surrounded by members of the Color Guard, family members and a few friends, Carr said his mind couldn’t help but wander to who wasn’t there.

Carr said he sometimes thinks about the times when he was behind enemy lines, but that one of the consequences of getting older is seeing those you love leave the earth.

The men he served with are gone, most family members are gone, with the exception of his son and daughter.

There is physical pain and emotional pain that are tied with getting older, still, Carr said he was overjoyed to see 100 and hopes to see his 101^st birthday.

“I thank the lord I’m here,” he said.

Thinking Ahead appears in the fourth edition of each month in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.