Wow! Speaking of Honoring A Vet!

[Annie]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1110medal,0,95745.story

Gov. honors Florida's last surviving World War I vet, 111

Associated Press
Posted November 10 2006, 1:54 PM EST

BRADENTON -- Ernest Charles Pusey, 111 years old and nattily attired in a dress shirt and light blue cardigan, smiled slightly when Gov. Jeb Bush walked in his trailer Friday and gave him a medal for helping win World War I.

Pusey _ his friends call him ``Ernie'' _ wasn't feeling too talkative but seemed to enjoy the hubbub surrounding the awarding of his World War I Victory Medal and a visit from the governor on the day before Veteran's Day.

``It looks pretty good, doesn't it?'' Bush said, placing the glass-encased medal on the table next to Pusey's recliner.

Pusey is indeed special. He's one of just 15 living World War I veterans _ out of nearly 5 million who served _ and the only one in Florida. He was in the U.S. Navy from 1917 to 1919 aboard the battleship USS Wyoming, which spent much of the war patrolling the sea lanes around the British Isles.

He was hired at General Motors in 1926, worked for the company in Flint, Mich., for 32 years and is now its oldest living retiree. He moved to Florida in 1960 and has lived in the same trailer park for more than 40 years.

Pusey told Bush he doesn't feel too good some days and has trouble getting around, but he remembers his time on that battleship nearly 90 years ago, especially ``stopping at different cities out there.''

A black-and-white photo of the ship hangs on the wall in his living room near a framed letter of congratulations he received on his birthday in April from President Bush, the governor's older brother.

``The most amazing thing about Ernie is when I see him come home from church, get out of the car and walk in the house by himself,'' said Jim Johns, who lives across the street. ``It tells you something about his soul. The man just glows.''

Bush said Pusey didn't recall getting a medal after the war and nobody could find any evidence that he had. So giving it to him for Veteran's Day seemed fitting.

``Ernie Pusey is 111 years old, he is the oldest Floridian, third oldest American, fifth oldest in the world, the oldest surviving World War I veteran, and it's an honor to be able to give him his World War I medal,'' Bush said.

The first step was actually finding a World War I Victory Medal, since it's not like the U.S. government has them lying around anymore. Rocky McPherson, executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, got on the case and finally tracked one down in a shop in Quantico, Va.

Last year, there were four World War I veterans in Florida, McPherson said, but two have died and one moved to Alabama. So Pusey deserves the fuss.

``I think he's a pretty happy gentlemen, and he looks pretty good,'' McPherson said. ``His mind is sharp.''

Pusey has a full-time caretaker, and besides going to church he likes stepping out for a scallop dinner every Sunday. He's tried nursing homes a few times, but prefers living in his trailer.

``It's pretty amazing,'' Bush said. ``He's an inspiration to all of us.''