A man who served his country in World War II, then brought A&W to Portage County and Northeast Ohio, celebrated his 100th birthday with friends and family.
Vernon Roen marked his milestone birthday Feb. 10 at the Ravenna VFW. Dozens of people came to pay tribute to his military service, which began when he was a teenager, and share memories of the A&W franchises that began in 1956 in Ravenna.
Roen’s son, Ted, and daughter-in-law, Elma, hosted the celebration.
A young pilot
Roen, who was born Feb. 3, 1924, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, enrolled in flight school immediately after graduating high school at age 17. When he turned 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and became a B-24 bomber pilot in World War II.
Roen said he served 3 1/2 years, flying missions across the United States as well as Africa, Europe and Italy before returning home. “I never got a scratch,” he said.
Woody Truman, veterans service officer at Portage County Veterans Services, tells the story differently. He said he and other staff spent hours with Roen discussing his military service. He said Roen flew more than 300 missions before he was shot down over Europe in March 1945. When the group asked Roen what his thoughts were as he floated to the ground in his parachute, Roen said he told them he noticed what a beautiful day it was.