Palm Harbor WWII veteran finds comfort in new mission at 100 years old: ‘Life is golden'
The Brief
O'Neil Ducharme, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, may be the first to tell you that the key to peaceful longevity is learning to let go.
He was a Marine in the 6th Division when he was among the first Allied forces to invade Okinawa, Japan in May 1945, surviving the 22-day firefight of Sugar Loaf Hill.
The World War II Museum in New Orleans estimates that less than .05% of the 16 million who fought in World War II are still alive.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. - O'Neil Ducharme sits comfortably in his recliner, centered in his garage, as he stares out into the cul-de-sac in front of his home, surprised by how quickly time flies.
"I just can't believe it's been 80 years since the end of the war," he said. "But, life is golden. It's beautiful at 100 years old – it gets better."
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The backstory
Ducharme turned 100 years old in January and has spent a lot of time reflecting lately. Though, he may be the first to tell you that the key to peaceful longevity is learning to let go – starting, for him, with hellacious memories of fighting in Japan.
"I just don't like to look back at the War due to the atrocities," he told FOX 13.
He gets asked often, because he's one of the few still alive who was there. As a Marine in the 6th Division, Ducharme was among the first Allied forces to invade Okinawa, Japan in May 1945, surviving the brutal 22-day firefight of Sugar Loaf Hill. The key to survival meant rotating shifts.
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"You go up and spend four or five days [fighting], then you're relieved. You couldn't stand 22 days of that," he said while shaking his head.
That's where Ducharme decided to let go of any selfishness, put down his weapon, and become a stretcher-bearer. He volunteered to go back into the firefight to retrieve his injured and fallen comrades.
Dig deeper
Today, he shrugs off any suggestions of heroism.
"You have to keep going," he said, explaining how he suggested the stretcher teams have five members instead of four. "That's so we could always rotate one out and keep going."
READ: Program gives Florida veterans a path to agriculture careers
The Japanese would eventually surrender. Ducharme and his fellow Marines made history, becoming the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil as occupiers in 3,000 years. He went on to serve in Guam, Guadalcanal and Korea with 16 others in his family members serving and thriving.
"Not a single one of us ever came home with a scratch on us," he said. "Pretty amazing."
Then, three years after the War ended, there she was – walking down the street in her Navy uniform. The woman who would change his life.
"I said, 'oh my God, look at that woman,'" remembering how taken he was with her immediately. "Without thinking about it, I said 'I'm going to marry her.'"
And he did.
MORE: PTSD clinic offering Bay Area veterans support
O'Neil and Patricia Ducharme were married on the Fourth of July in 1947. They shared 69 and a half years of love and laughter together until Patricia died in 2016. A part of O'Neil did too.
Big picture view
Depressed and detached for months, he described being "in the dumps" until a friend invited him to the airport. The Honor Guard of West Central Florida asked him to join them in welcoming veterans from a day-long trip to the war memorials in Washington, D.C.
It was just what he needed.
"Suddenly, my life turns back right-side up," Ducharme said with a warm smile.
What they're saying
It was, for him, a new love. A collective sharing of the welcome he never got all those years ago.
"I felt like I [finally] came home," he said, tearing up. "I really never came home before that. Now, I'm home."
READ: Tampa Bay's oldest living WWII veteran has died at 108: 'It's the greatest generation'
Why you should care
Ducharme is now forging new bonds with his military brethren as time closes in on them. The World War II Museum in New Orleans estimates that less than .05% of the 16 million who fought in World War II are still alive. An average of 131 die every day.
Several close to Ducharme have passed recently.
"This has been a very tough month for me right now, because I've lost five friends, all World War II veterans," he said with a tear in his eye. He never said letting go was easy.
Today, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren are his latest blessing and perhaps the best medicine yet for healing the heart of a selfless marine.
For more on the Honor Flight of West Central Florida, click here.
The Source
The information in this story was gathered during an interview with World War II veteran O'Neil Ducharme.
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