The Atlanta community is bidding farewell to a respected World War II veteran and centenarian, Albert Henley "Hank" Sturgess Jr., who passed away on Sunday at the venerable age of 103. Born in Pennsylvania in 1921 and a longtime Georgia resident after moving to Atlanta in 1931, Sturgess' breadth of life was marked by his naval service during the war where he acted with decisiveness in the South Pacific, and later as a pillar of his community through various leadership roles, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Sturgess, who worked as a CIO on the USS Radford during the war, earned a Presidential Citation for his courage in combat, notably leading the rescue of survivors from the sunken USS Helena under the direst circumstances which he recalled as being at "the tip of the spear" near the Solomon Islands stating "We had to act very quickly with the information we had," he said, "We couldn't contemplate it, we just had to act," according to a FOX 5 Atlanta interview. Post-war, his engagement with the local community included serving as the Atlanta Realtor of the Year, president of the Sandy Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the Sons of the American Revolution, further cementing his esteemed standing amongst his peers.
On Friday, a celebration of Albert Henley "Hank" Sturgess Jr.'s life is to take place at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church; instead of flowers, contributions are encouraged to be made to the church's missions fund, a testament to his service both as a deacon and elder and highlighting a life characterized as much by grace as by valor, remarking in a humbling reflection, "It's all by God's grace because I didn't do anything different," he told FOX 5 Atlanta, adding "I lived the same life that you're living now, it's just by God's grace that he's allowed me to live as long as I have."
Meanwhile, in Maine, another World War II veteran, James Mardin, celebrated his 103rd birthday, with the local Maine Military Museum where he is referred to affectionately as a "living artifact," as covered by Atlanta News First. Mardin, who served in the National Guard and then made a conscious decision to go overseas during the war, advocates a simple philosophy for longevity, including partaking dark chocolate, staying light-hearted and rolling with whatever life throws at you, exemplifying a stoic yet whimsical approach to the trials of life, all while serving as a living bridge to a crucial era in American history.
The stories of veterans like Sturgess and Mardin carry threads of sacrifice and service, woven through decades extending beyond wartime into the essence of their communities, their narratives offering a poignant recollection of a past era and providing distilled wisdom on how to navigate the complexities and simplicities of a well-lived life, as we honor their contributions and mark the passing of these towering figures from a generation rapidly receding into the folds of history.
