By Kamryn Martell
Signal Staff Writer
Ken Placek, a World War II veteran, is turning 103 and celebrated with his friends in the Coffee 4 Veterans group at Crazy Otto’s Diner on Thursday morning.
The restaurant was packed with love, camaraderie and full bellies, while celebrating the birthday milestone of the World War II pilot.
Placek sat in the middle of the large table wearing his brown jacket covered in patches and his veteran hat while eating his breakfast.
He said he must take cat naps in the afternoon and get a full eight to 10 hours of sleep every night, since he is turning 103.
When asked what life has looked like in the past year, he says he has his routine.
“So, it keeps me going. I live with my son or vice versa. He lives with me. Yeah, pretty well takes care of almost all everything else for me. I had to give up driving, you know, because of my age. He’s my anchor that takes me around and whatever I have to get done,” Placek said, talking about his son, Paul.
He added that he has three children, and each one takes turns driving him to church every Sunday.
Placek said he has been coming to the Coffee 4 Vets meetings for a little over a year, and he appreciates the memories.
“The sad part of being, you know, one of the remaining veterans is that all the friends that we had, all the buddies I had, they’re all gone,” Placek said.
Paul Placek said he is very grateful that his father is alive and is in incredible health.
“It’s not only that he’s a veteran, and because he’s 103, he saw a lot of American history besides the war. He was around when high schools (first started), when they were first having the first teen movies (with) Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland,” Paul said. “The first part of teen culture and like having a prom … that was kind of established, especially in the Midwest back then. They didn’t have high schools except in big cities.”
Paul said that bringing his father to Coffee 4 Vets and getting him more involved in other things has given him a whole new outlet and something else to do.
When asked if his father gave him any advice that he uses now, he laughed and said his father said to “avoid fast women.” However, Paul said his father encouraged him to always be his own person and not try to always fit in with the crowd.
One memory that sticks out for Paul is all the trips his family took to Yosemite National Park to go camping.
Juan Blanco, president and founder of Coffee 4 Vets, said it is remarkable to see Ken reach his 103rd year of life.
Blanco recalled when Ken had turned 102 last year, and they took a trip to see the Edwards Air Force base to meet a general at the test center.
“And they said, and they talked about how they lead a plane, how they shoot it down, the advantages now versus then, how much a plane handles. And he was in his heyday. He had such a wonderful time, and the general got to appreciate the generation before him that laid the work,” Blanco said.
Blanco said Ken has taught him patience and gratitude and admires him for always being level-headed.
“So, I am just thankful that he’s in this room with us, because he is a bench marker,” Blanco said.
