FAIRBORN — The City of Fairborn and VFW Post 6861 honored their oldest living veteran today during their annual parade.
101-year-old United States Army Sergeant Herman Holt rode atop the first few floats in the parade.
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Sgt. Holt served with the 83rd Infantry Division during World War II. He told News Center 7′s Michael Gordon what Independence Day meant to him.
“It is a good day and a day for people who did the best they could and that did a good job of doing what they done,” Sgt. Holt said.
Sgt. Holt has been a life-long Ohio resident. Fairborn’s Fourth of July parade has not been the first he has been honored in. His daughter said her father serves as a reminder of the lasting impact of the war.
“It is a reminder that wars are real and our military is real and until you take part in that and we have had a few generations slip – they do not know about world war two and Vietnam as well,” Rita Dryden said.
Dryden said Sgt. Holt stays in good health by walking and eating healthy.
“He does what he wants but he walks everywhere and he never stops working. He stays away from stress,” Dryden said.
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