‘He’s my role model’: Rochester World War II Veteran celebrates 100th birthday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — It was a night of celebration at Glendoveers over on Old Browncroft Boulevard in Rochester as one highly decorated man celebrated a milestone.

The stage was set Friday night as family and friends of World War II Veteran George Steitz celebrated his 100th birthday.

“He’s such an inspiration to everyone he meets,” Elizabeth McPherson, George’s granddaughter said. She beamed with each answer she gave highlighting his life, which she says, continues to be a full one.

“He didn’t retire until 2019 when he finally stopped working. He was 95. I mean, it’s incredible. It means the world needs to have a role model like him,” McPherson said.

And George was all in the fun. Overwhelmed by the amount of people at the party, he shared some memories about his fight in World War II.

“Somebody said the other day, ‘What was the biggest treat?’ I said, ‘The biggest treat was coming home alive.’ I said, ‘You can go to the movies, and you can go to the theatres and see it on TV, but, war is war, and war is hell. And you’ve got to be in war to know what war is,” Steitz said.

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