PERRY COUNTY, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Every day, the memory of World War II is fading further from living history. Many of those who fought and won this war are now in their 90s or older.
You’ve probably heard the saying “Age is just a number,” but imagine being over 100 years old—108 to be exact.
“It’s something to be proud of, I guess,” said Oakley Hacker.
Hacker was born on Oct. 2, 1916, in Clay County.
More than a century later, he’s considered to be Kentucky’s oldest known living World War II veteran, serving in the United States Navy for almost five years. Hacker achieved the rank of gunner’s mate second class and served as an armed guard aboard the SS Oliver Wolcott.
Hacker provided gunnery support in the country’s biggest seaborne invasion in history on June 6, 1944. His D-day mission was to ensure the protection of cargo ships and operational ships.