Pearl Harbor survivor and WWII veteran wants cards for his 100th birthday

Sarah Sicard

On Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, 30 Pearl Harbor Survivors with the “Greatest Generation” vets meet and greet with visitors at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center in Honolulu, including Jack Holder (left) and Ed Stone. (Dennis Oda
Pearl Harbor survivor and World War II veteran Jack Holder is turning 100 years old on Dec. 13.

To celebrate becoming a centenarian, the Arizona resident wants birthday cards from all around the world, according to Fox10 News in Phoenix.

For his 99th birthday, his neighbors threw a surprise birthday parade.

The veteran, born in 1921, served in the Navy and flew over 100 missions during World War II, including in the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, English Channel and Bay of Biscay. For his actions in combat, Holder recieved 36 medals and commendations.

Though there isn’t an exact count of remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, one, Stuart Hedley, told the San Diego Tribune he estimates fewer than 100 are still alive today. The official death toll of the Dec. 7 1941 attack was 2,403, as reported by the Pearl Harbor Visitors Bureau.

If you’d like to send Holder a card, the deadline is Nov. 30, and the address is as follows:

Jack Holder

C/O Darlene Tryon

PO Box 11094

Chandler, Arizona 85248


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