OVIEDO, Fla. – A World War II veteran is turning 104 years old, and on Saturday Oviedo and Seminole County residents turned out to wish him a happy birthday.
John Henry Chaney Sr. is a retired Marine who served with the 8th Ammunition Co. from 1943 to 1945 and even saw action at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
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On Saturday, neighbors, veterans, first responders and community leaders held a car parade for Chaney. The centenarian sat in his wheelchair and watched as they drove by his house, honking and waving.
“Anybody that is living and wants to live will thank The Lord for living,” Chaney said in video provided by the city of Oviedo. “And I’m gonna thank him, and I’m gonna thank him, and I don’t know how many years I live, but I will live however many years that He wants me to live.”
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A city spokesperson said that among the people who came out to greet Chaney were members of the Oviedo Police and Fire departments and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, members of the American Legion, and Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek and Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari.
Chaney has 15 children, and several family members were also with him on Saturday.
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