HAMPTON, Va. — Private First Class Robert S. White received the Bronze Star Medal 73 years after serving his country in some of World War II's biggest battles.
Robert S. White.
The ceremony was held at the Hampton VA Medical Center around 1 p.m., and the award was presented by Congressman Scott Taylor.
The North Carolina native, who joined the U.S. Army in 1943 at the hight of the war, was assigned to the 507th Parachute Infantry the 17th Airborne Division and fought in operations D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Varsity.
White settled in Hampton Roads in 1951 and would go onto work for as a sheet metal mechanic at the Newport News Shipyard for more than 37 years.
White's awards and decorations include the Combat Infantry Badge with three bronze service stars and a bronze arrowhead; Personal Purple Heart; Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
The veteran kept busy after his service in World War II. He would compete in races throughout his lifetime and even completed the Boston Marathon in 1989.
White was also the first 90-year-old to complete a 10k race in Virginia. He still jogs three miles every other day.
The father of five is also currently involved in a monthly Korean/World War II War Veterans group in the PTSD clinic, allowing him to talk more about his experiences, according to a release about White.
