A D-day veteran who defended landing troops from Nazi fighter planes has received more than 200 cards from well-wishers for his 100th birthday.
John Dennett, who now lives near Liverpool, England, was surprised by the haul of 217 cards and letters sent to him from across the county to mark his special day.
The widower celebrated with friends and family at a private party that featured wartime music, food, and entertainment.
“It’s a funny feeling. It’s only now that I’ve reached 100 that I realize I’m that old. I will just have to take it easy now,” he joked.
“All I hope is I reach 200!”
John was just 17 when he signed up to serve at the start of the war, against his mother’s wishes. He was an apprentice bricklayer, but after concealing his age, he managed to join the Royal Navy in 1941 and went to train in the US aboard the Queen Elizabeth.
Three years later, on June 6, 1944, he served as an anti-aircraft gunner aboard one of the 7,000 ships that delivered soldiers onto the beaches of Normandy, which turned the tide of WWII against the Nazis.
John also took part in the other major allied landings during the Second World War, both in North Africa and Italy.
This summer, he returned to France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, where he met the King and paid his respects to the fallen.
“It was exceptional, the trip of a lifetime.
“I also met the King and Queen again; we’re on first name terms now!
“I enjoyed my time out there so much, the memories will remain with me for the rest of my life. It was very moving.
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“I had to say a few words at Bayeux. I said the line that went, ‘For your tomorrow, we gave our today’.”
“There was one veteran who was 103 who was acting a lot younger. It really gave me hope.”
Following the war, John founded the Ashville Football Club in 1949 to give local kids a place to play. He’s still its president to this day.
And, on its building is a giant mural featuring a portrait of John with his chest full of medals (pictured above).
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He said the Club has helped him get through so much in his life, including his wife’s death in 1994.
Over the last 30 years, since becoming a widower, he’s been a member of the Royal British Legion, embarking on several commemorative trips and selling red poppies to benefit his fellow veterans.
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