FAIR OAKS, Calif. —

Surrounded by friends and fellow veterans, Stuart McIntyre walked into the American Legion Post 383 on Wednesday in salute formation. American flags were displayed proudly.

McIntyre, a World War II veteran, celebrated his 100th birthday, marking a milestone many hope to achieve. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, less than 1% percent of the 16.4 million who served in WWII are still alive.

McIntyre, who enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 16 in December 1941, reflected on his service, saying, "I was very young when I joined the Marine Corps, and they had just pulled the Marines that had been serving in China."

He recited the poem "Mandalay" by Rudyard Kipling, a poem about a soldier recounting his time in Burma. It's a piece of poetry

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