World War II veteran Irv Locker, one of the last surviving soldiers of the D-Day invasion, marked his 101st birthday this weekend while sharing a powerful reminder to Newsmax viewers on Saturday about the cost of freedom.
Appearing on “Saturday Report,” Locker, who served as a U.S. Army staff sergeant in the 116th AAA Gun Battalion, recalled storming the beaches of Normandy at age 19 and later fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and the push into Berlin.
“Freedom is not free,” Locker said.
“We have to thank God for the men and women who were wounded and those who were lost. I’m lucky to be alive after D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and helping liberate a Holocaust camp,” he added.
Locker described the chaos of landing at Normandy, remembering fellow soldiers shouting, “On the beach, you’re a victim. Off the beach, you’re a warrior.”
At just five-foot-five, he said he feared drowning before reaching shore but kept running forward under fire.
Now, Locker devotes his time to visiting schools and speaking to students about the sacrifices made by his generation.
“The kids have no idea,” he said. “They have to know what it was like, and how lucky they are that we were successful in life and in war so that they could be free.”
The segment concluded with heartfelt birthday wishes for Locker and his wife of nearly 80 years, Bernice.
“When you see a veteran, thank a veteran,” Locker said. “Believe me, it’s well worth it.”
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