WWII Veteran Receives Honors from Politicians, Veteran Groups on 106th Birthday
It was a big occasion for Florian Ozimek Sunday afternoon, as the World War II Navy veteran celebrated his 106th birthday.
Ozimek was met by fellow veterans, friends, and 5 generations of his family at a surprise birthday party at the Saint Mary's at Asbury Ridge retirement community.
"I'm speechless," said the 106-year-old veteran. "There's so many people, I never suspected this. Never, never in my life."
Ozimek was presented with several honors from local politicians and veterans' groups across Northwest Pennsylvania.
"[He got items] from [the] State Senate, U.S. Senate, and I think U.S. Congress," said his son Richard Florian Ozimek, a fellow Navy veteran himself. "It was to recognize him on Memorial Day, or close enough to Memorial Day, which is tomorrow. And celebrate his 106th birthday at the same time, and to have some of the family here to celebrate with him."
But it wasn't just family at Ozimek's birthday. Veterans from the group "Vets Honor Guard" travelled all the way from Franklin, Pa. to present Ozimek with his awards he received from politicians.
"We do services for families of deceased veterans," said Andy Sentgeorge a member of the Vets Honor Guard. "And we started this new program last year for recognizing veterans that turned 100 years old. And that's why we're here today, to represent the Vets Honor Guard and honor Florian Peter Ozimek."
"We have families come up all the time," continued Sentgeorge. "You might be in Walmart, you might be on the street, wherever you are, and they'll just say 'oh you did a service for my grandfather' or whatever. And it means a lot to the families, so we do it as a service, we don't charge anything to the funeral homes. It's just a special treat to be able to honor a living veteran like Florian and that's why we do it."
Ozimek also received a handmade quilt from "Quilts of Valor," an organization that creates quilts and blankets to gift to veterans and honor their sacrifices.